Sorption behavior of carbon nanotubes

Author(s): Melanie Kah, Xiaoran Zhang, Thilo Hofmann
Abstract: The effect of functionalization on the sorption behavior of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) remains poorly understood, especially when combined with other factors affecting dispersion. The sorption behavior of a series of functionalized CNTs towards pyrene has therefore been systematically evaluated over a wide range of concentrations and dispersion scenarios. When studied as purchased (in the absence of humic acids and sonication treatment), sorption isotherms showed that OH-, COOH- and NH₂-CNTs exhibited significantly different sorption affinity for pyrene. Sonication greatly increased both the sorption affinity and the maximum capacity of all types of functionalized CNTs, to an extent that overwhelmed the differences initially observed (increase of up to 1.5 orders of magnitude lead to log K_d values close to 9L/kg). Results demonstrate that a significant proportion of the CNT surface was unavailable to pyrene prior to sonication. The presence of humic acids enhanced dispersion but decreased sorption, especially when combined with sonication. Sorption affinity, however, remained very high in all cases (log K_d>7.5L/kg), suggesting that CNTs can act as strong sorbents under a wide range of conditions.
Organisation(s)
External organisation(s): Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Journal: Science of the Total Environment
Volume: 497-498
Pages: 133-138
No. of pages: 6
ISSN: 0048-9697
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.112
Publication date: 11-2014
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 105904 Environmental research, 104002 Analytical chemistry, 104023 Environmental chemistry, 210006 Nanotechnology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Environmental Chemistry, Pollution, Waste Management and Disposal, Environmental Engineering
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/sorption-behavior-of-carbon-nanotubes(b65f8b24-ef8a-4202-b043-87e0a42804af).html

Back