Evaluation of the catalytic properties of carbon nanotubes dispersed in amino trimethyl phosphonic acid and nonylphenol

Abstract

In this work, multiple-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were purified with an acid treatment and subsequently dispersed using commercial surfactants, such as amino trimethyl phosphonic acid and nonylphenol. Then, the as-synthetized and dispersed MWCNTs were evaluated as a catalytic material for the degradation of the industrial dyes: methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and rhodamine B (RhB). The structural characterization was performed by SEM, XRD, BET, TEM, Raman, FT-IR, and UV-vis. The SEM-EDS technique revealed the increase in the purity of MWCNTs after an acidic purification process. XRD confirmed the hexagonal structure of the MWCNTs. Also, the BET technique showed an increase in the specific surface area after the purification process. Raman and FT-IR spectroscopies illustrated the crystallinity and functionality of CNTs with carboxyl and carbonyl groups. The dispersed MWCNT shows better degradation values of MB, RhB, and MO compared to the synthesized MWCNTs. This performance was attrbuted to the surface area present between the walls. The functionalization of MWCNTs with NaBH4 improved the degradation of organic dyes.