Electrophoretic Deposition of Layer-by-Layer Unsheathed Carbon Nanotubes—A Step Towards Steerable Surface Roughness and Wettability

Materials

Piotr Kowalczyk¹  Anna Kolanowska²  Sławomir Boncel²  ArturP. Terzyk³  Paulina Bolibok³  Wojciech Zięba³  Emil Korczeniewski³  Monika Zięba³  Agata Wiertel-Pochopień⁴  Jan Zawała⁴ 

[1] College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia;Department of Organic Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 4, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland;Faculty of Chemistry, Physicochemistry of Carbon Materials Research Group, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Gagarin Street 7, 87-100 Toruń, Poland;Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Kraków, Poland;

关键词: carbon nanotubes;    electrophoretic deposition;    roughness;    wetting;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ma13030595

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

It is well known that carbon nanotube (CNT) oxidation (usually with concentrated HNO₃) is a major step before the electrophoretic deposition (EPD). However, the recent discovery of the “onion effect” proves that multiwalled carbon nanotubes are not only oxidized, but a simultaneous unsheathing process occurs. We present the first report concerning the influence of unsheathing on the properties of the thus-formed CNT surface layer. In our study we examine how the process of gradual oxidation/unsheathing of a series of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) influences the morphology of the surface formed via EPD. Taking a series of well-characterized and gradually oxidized/unsheathing Nanocyl™ MWCNTs and performing EPD on a carbon fiber surface, we analyzed the morphology and wettability of the CNT surfaces. Our results show that the water contact angle could be gradually changed in a wide range (125−163°) and the major property determining its value was the diameter of aggregates formed before the deposition process in the solvent. Based on the obtained results we determined the parameters having a crucial influence on the morphology of created layers. Our results shed new light on the deposition mechanism and enable the preparation of surfaces with steerable roughness and wettability.

【 授权许可】

Unknown