Abstract
There is considerable investigation into the applications of carbon nanotubes because of their valuable properties. In this study, our goal was to develop several carbon nanotube (CNT)-coated substrates through an amide-bonding process. We prepared polycarboxylated multi-walled CNTs via a carboxylation reaction and then CNT derivatives were tethered to amino groups presented on a titanium, gold or glass substrate in the presence of a condensation agent. The obtained substrates were characterized with a Raman microscope, an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Raman mapping images indicated that the CNTs existed on the substrate surface homogeneously, and AFM and SEM observation revealed that the CNTs coating the surfaces had a three-dimensional network nanostructure. The CNTs remained on the surface even after ultrasonication treatment in organic solvent. However, they were removed from the substrate surface after soaking in NaOH aqueous solution. This result suggested that the CNTs were tethered to the substrate through amide bonding.
