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In this work, oxygen-containing groups were introduced onto multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by using microwave-excited Ar/O 2 surface-wave plasma (SWP) treatment. The changes of the atomic contents and structure properties of MWCNTs as a function of gas flow rate, treatment time, and plasma power were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. A mechanism of MWCNT oxidation was proposed, based on XPS analysis, which showed how oxygen-containing groups, such as C-O, CdO, and O-CdO, were generated on the surfaces of MWCNTs. The surface morphology of MWCNTs was observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The results indicated that Ar/O 2 plasma treatment greatly enhanced the content of oxygen, modified structure properties, induced more surface defects, and improved the dispersion of MWCNTs in aqueous solution. The integrity of the nanotube patterns was not damaged.

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