Adsorption of Single-Wall Carbon nanotubes at Liquid/Liquid Interface

Abstract

In this thesis, the adsorption of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at the liquid/liquid interface, and the subsequent electrochemical investigation of the electrical properties of the adsorbed nanotubes have been studied. Prior to the adsorption of the nanotube, the stability of dispersion of SWCNTs in non-aqueous solvents was assessed by determining the onset of aggregation of the SWCNTs when organic electrolyte was introduced. It was found that electrostatic repulsion between the SWCNTs contributes significantly to the stability of the SWCNTs in non-aqueous solvents. Similar result was also found when the aggregation kinetics of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) dispersion in non-aqueous media was studied using the same organic electrolyte. The formation of nanomaterial-polymer composites by deliberate electrochemical oxidation of pyrrole and the sonochemical polymerisation of the organic solvent was also studied. Electrolyte addition was shown to be a promising way to separate the 2D material from the sonopolymer.

Date of Award	1 Aug 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Robert Dryfe (Supervisor) & Simon Webb (Supervisor)