RBM band shift-evidenced dispersion mechanism of single-wall carbon nanotube bundles with NaDDBS

The dispersion process of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) by using sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (NaDDBS) was studied by means of surface tension measurements, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the concentration where the surface tension begins to drop increase by the presence of SWNT. The isotherm of NaDDBS amount adsorbed on SWNT shows the plateau region at 0.2–6 mM and the saturated region above 40 mM. The external surface of SWNT bundle is fully covered with adsorbed NaDDBS at the plateau region, showing that SWNTs can be dispersed with the bundle form. On the other hand, SWNTs are dispersed in individual tubes at the saturated region, where the adsorption amount corresponds to coating of individual tube surfaces with NaDDBS. This dispersion state was confirmed by SEM and TEM observations. The effect of the dispersion state of SWNTs on radial breathing mode in Raman spectrum gave inherent peak shifts, being the in situ evidences on the step-wise dispersion mechanism of the SWNT bundle to the individual tubes.

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