Synthesis of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes/ZnO Nanocomposites using Absorbent Cotton

Abstract

This letter focuses on the synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and MWNTs/ZnO nanocomposites using absorbent cotton. The MWNTs have been synthesized by a rapid heating of absorbent cotton at different temperature (400℃, 550℃, 600℃). The MWNTs/ZnO nanocomposites have been synthesized by heating mixtures of Zn(OH)2/H2O/absorbent cotton at different temperature (at about 550℃ and 600℃). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) clearly show that the pure MWNTs and ZnO nanocomposites (with a mean size of 35.9 nm) were synthesized. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images demonstrate that the structure of synthesized MWNTs was middle-hollow, with inner and outer diameter of around 10 and 80 nm. The ZnO nanocomposites that had grown on the walls of MWNTs were nonuniform and agglomerated, with an outer diameter of around 110 nm. The selected area diffraction (SAD) patterns and Raman spectrum indicate that the MWNTs were well-crystallised, and there are a few defects in the walls. Infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR) spectra suggest that the surface of MWNTs has been covered by ZnO.

Rapid large-scale preparation of ZnO nanowires for photocatalytic application

“…Recently, it has been reported that ZnO can be an alternative to conventional treatments for removing dye pollutants from water [ 3 ]. ZnO, with a lower cost, absorbs over a larger fraction of UV spectrum and absorbs more light quanta than TiO 2 [ 4 ]. When an appropriate light source illuminates ZnO, electron/hole pairs will be produced with electrons absorbing the light energy, transitioning to the conduction band and leaving positive holes in the valence band [ 5 ].…”

Nanomaterial Transformation in the Soil–Plant System: Implications for Food Safety and Application in Agriculture

“…Experience gained from the green synthesis of ENMs has shown that plant leaves can serve as a "factory" for synthesizing various kinds of ENMs such as Ag, Au, ZnO, and CuO ENMs. [59,[77][78][79] A common method to synthesize metallic ENMs is to use reactive phytochemicals in plant leaf extracts (e.g., flavonoids, glucose, and fructose) to reduce the metal salt precursor. [80] It is reasonable to conclude that ENMs may also be reduced by those plant-generated substances.…”

Synthesis of Carbon Nanomaterials from Biomass Utilizing Ionic Liquids for Potential Application in Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

“…A few examples of the synthesis of CNTs from both cellulose and lignocellulosic biomass have been reported, making use of bulk pyrolysis [ 147 ]. For example, absorbent cotton [ 148 ], after treatment at temperatures of 400–600 °C, yielded CNTs with inner and outer diameters of 10 and 80 nm, respectively, after a purification step involving ethanol and water. Cellulose acetate [ 149 ], pyrolyzed in the presence of polyisocyanate and the pre-catalyst NiCl 2 at 750 °C, yielded CNTs with 24–38 nm diameter.…”