Abstract
A suitable dispersion of carbon materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) in an appropriate dispersant media, is a prerequisite for many technological applications (e.g., additive purposes, functionalization, mechanical reinforced materials for electrolytes and electrodes for energy storage applications, etc.). Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been considered as a promising “green” alternative, providing a versatile replacement to volatile organic solvents due to their unique physical-chemical properties, being recognized as low-volatility fluids with great dispersant ability. The present work aims to contribute to appraise the effect of the presence of MWCNTs and Ag-functionalized MWCNTs on the physicochemical properties (viscosity, density, conductivity, surface tension and refractive index) of glyceline (choline chloride and glycerol, 1:2), a Type III DES. To benefit from possible synergetic effects, AgMWCNTs were prepared through pulse reverse electrodeposition of Ag nanoparticles into MWCNTs. Pristine MWCNTs were used as reference material and water as reference dispersant media for comparison purposes. The effect of temperature (20 to 60 °C) and concentration on the physicochemical properties of the carbon dispersions (0.2–1.0 mg cm−3) were assessed. In all assessed physicochemical properties, AgMWCNTs outperformed pristine MWCNTs dispersions. A paradoxical effect was found in the viscosity trend in glyceline media, in which a marked decrease in the viscosity was found for the MWCNTs and AgMWCNTs materials at lower temperatures. All physicochemical parameters were statistically analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), at a 5% level of significance.
Highlights
IntroductionCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) were first reported by Iijima [1], receiving much interest due to their properties such as high aspect ratio, lightweight, high tensile strength, excellent electrical conductivity and stability [2,3,4]
SEM analysis of AgMWCNTs (A–E) shows that Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are located on the edges and surface of the MWCNTs, and presents some agglomerates of Ag-NPs
The effect of MWCNTs and AgMWCNTs composites on the physicochemical properties of choline chloride-based Deep eutectic solvents (DES), glyceline, and water was investigated, in the range of concentration from 0.2 to 1.0 mg cm−3
Summary
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were first reported by Iijima [1], receiving much interest due to their properties such as high aspect ratio, lightweight, high tensile strength, excellent electrical conductivity and stability [2,3,4]. The outer layer of the CNTs can be used as an anchor for the deposition of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) [3]. NPs incorporation is of great interest because they can form hybrid nanostructures that exhibit enhanced [5] or novel properties, due to size, large surface area and quantum dimension, which can enhance their physical and chemical properties [6]. Several metals (e.g., Ag, Au, and Pt) have been explored for the decoration of CNTs [7,8,9,10].
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