An immersion calorimetry study of the interaction of organic compounds with carbon nanotube surfaces

The interaction of organic chemicals with the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been studied by immersion calorimetry revealing new information about the unique CNT surface structures. The curvature of the graphene sheets of in the CNTs increases the adsorption strength of aromatic compounds compared to flat graphite surfaces. For a given CNT, the adsorption affinity of a non-polar aromatic molecule correlated poorly with the CNT hydrophobicity. Comparison of the immersion enthalpies that evolved when the solids were immersed in organic chemicals reveals the formation of π–π stacking interactions, H-bonds or electron–accepting interactions depending on the CNT surfaces and on the immersion substrate. The number of oxygen groups on CNTs seems to modify the electron density of their surfaces and therefore the interaction mechanism with the adsorbates.