Influence of the variation of carbon nanotubes on the morphology of carbon nanotubes–SiO2hybrid materials

Abstract

Three different carbon nanotube (CNT)-SiO2 hybrid materials were prepared by a simple sol-gel process using benzyl alcohol as a surfactant, and the variation of morphology of the CNT-SiO2 hybrid materials was investigated. The results showed that the morphology was influenced by the diameter of the different CNTs, and the quality of silica coatings on the CNT surfaces became better when the diameter of CNTs used was larger. We think the detailed understanding of the variation of morphology of CNT-SiO2 hybrid materials should be crucial in order to synthesise ideal CNT-SiO2 hybrid materials for the potential applications in many fields.