Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene - Research and Applications

A promising method for assembling carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) protected Prussian blue nanoparticles (P-PB) to form three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured films is proposed. The electrostatic interaction, combined with layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL), between negatively charged CNTs and positively charged P-PB is strong enough to drive the formation of the 3D nanostructured films. Thus, prepared multilayer films were characterized by ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared spectroscopy (UV–vis–NIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Regular growth of the mutilayer films is monitored by UV–vis–NIR and CV. SEM provides the morphology of the multilayer films. The 3D multilayer films exhibit good electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of H2O2. This is a very general and powerful technique for the assembling 3D nanostructured films containing carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. This assembling method introduces opportunities for the incorporation of various functionalities into nanotube devices, which, in turn, opens up the possibility of building more complex multicomponent nanostructures with potential application, such as biosensing devices.
Source: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 317 (2008) 394–399