Functionalization and magnetization of carbon nanotubes using Co-60 gamma-ray irradiation

Dispersion ability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was improved by functionalization.CNTs were easily manipulated by precipitation of magnetic nanoparticles.Our product can be used as versatile biosensor substrate for biomarker screening.

Functionalized magnetic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used in the biological and biomedical fields as biosensors, drug delivery systems, etc., which makes research into processes for manufacturing modified CNTs quite important. In this paper, Co-60 gamma irradiation is shown to be an effective tool for fabricating functionalized and magnetized CNTs. After the Co-60 gamma irradiation, the presence of carboxylic functional groups on the CNT walls was confirmed by their Fourier transform infrared spectra, and the presence of Fe3O4 was verified by the X-ray diffraction patterns. The functionalized and magnetized CNTs produced using Co-60 gamma irradiation have excellent dispersion properties. The techniques for functionalizing and magnetizing CNTs are introduced in this paper, and applications of the modified CNTs will be reported after more data are gathered.