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Effects of chlorinated aromatic solvents on the dispersion of HiPco SWNTs
Author(s) -
Cheng Qiaohuan,
Debnath Sourabhi,
Gregan Elizabeth,
Byrne Hugh James
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.200779557
Subject(s) - sonication , dichlorobenzene , dispersion (optics) , absorbance , solvent , chemistry , organic solvent , absorption (acoustics) , chemical engineering , materials science , organic chemistry , chromatography , composite material , physics , optics , engineering
A systematic study of the effect of chlorinated aromatic solvents such as monochlorobenzene (MCB), 1,2‐dichlorobenzene (o‐DCB), 1,3‐dichlorobenzene (m‐DCB) and 1,2,4‐trichlorobenzene (TCB) on the dispersion of HiPco SWNTs has been conducted. UV‐Vis‐NIR absorption spectroscopy coupled with an integrating sphere is employed to differentiate absorbance and scattering. An investigation of the effect of sonication time on sample preparation shows that sonication has a significant effect on the dispersion of SWNTs in organic solvents. The effect of centrifugation of the samples is also explored. For each solvent, a concentration dependent study demonstrates a clear transition between aggregates and dispersed tubes. A critical examination of the efficacy of the solvents in dispersing and solubilising the nanotubes is presented. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)