Study on the Functionalization of Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotube with Monoamine Terminated Poly(ethylene oxide)

Abstract

Abstract Through the introduction of carboxylic acid or thionyl chloride groups in multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT‐COOH or MWNT‐COCl) and amine group in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO‐NH 2 ), complexation of MWNT with PEO was successfully performed, yielding MWNT/PEO complex having approximately 40 wt.% of PEO. The MWNT/PEO complexes exhibited excellent dispersibility in solvents including water, ethanol and DMF. From SEM observation, the increases in the diameter of the nanotubes were observed. The presence of PEO on the nanotube surface was also confirmed through EDX and FT‐IR. The effects of different functionality on MWNTs (COOH vs. COCl) and different molecular weight of PEOs (1000 g/mol vs. 2000 g/mol) were not so prominent.