Synthesis and Coatings Production of Carbonaceous Nanostructures

Films and coatings of carbonaceous nanostructures are employed in nanoelectronics, biotechnology and other fields. The aim of the research was to synthesize multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphite oxide and fabricate coatings thereof. Consequently, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their coatings were synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapour deposition method. As-grown carbon nanotubes inevitably contain remains of metal catalyst particles. A method developed in the laboratory using CCl4 was successfully applied to remove the residual catalyst from the batch of synthesized carbon nanotubes. Simultaneously, graphite oxide was synthesized from graphite powder by Hummer's method. Coatings and films of carbonaceous nanostructures were fabricated from carbon nanotubes and graphite oxide aqueous suspensions. The analysis of carbon nanotubes coatings revealed that their morphology depends on synthesis parameters. The surface properties of these coatings depend on the amount and nature of functional groups attached to carbon nanotube walls. The analysis of graphite oxide films indicated that Congo red dye addition leads to more compact structure of the nanocomposites due the interaction between functional groups of these particles