Rapid surface modification of single-walled carbon nanohorns with copper compound by microwave irradiation

Abstract

Hybrid material of carbonaceous materials and metallic nanoparticles turns into a promising material especially newest carbon nanostructure, single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs), hybridizes with high conductivity metal such as copper. To fabricate the hybrid material, surface modification of SWCNHs is necessary, owing to the chemical inertness of the graphene sheet. With fast and thorough heating, microwave irradiation could be employed for modifying surface property of SWCNHs and hybridizing SWCNHs with copper nanoparticles. The aim of this research was to implement microwave irradiation to a process of SWCNHs surface treatment. The microwave oven was employed to heat the suspension of SWCNHs with sulphuric acid and nitric acid mixture at different irradiation power and irradiation time. It was found that microwave irradiation can make a shorter process time from order of hour to order of second. Just a small irradiation power is enough for surface treatment. Surface polarity of acid treated SWCNHs and copper coating fraction of hybrid materials are an evidence for those results. The other effect, effect of copper concentration in microwave-polyol process was investigated and discussed.