Carbon nanotube silica glass composites in thin films by the sol–gel technique

We report the fabrication of a carbon nanotube silica composite. This inorganic composite is produced with the sol–gel technique and deposited in thin films by the dip-coating method. The functionalization of multiwall carbon nanotubes is a decisive step in order to introduce them inside a silica matrix. Functionalization ensures good homogeneity of multiwall carbon nanotubes. Atomic force microscopy and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy demonstrate the well dispersion at the nanometer scale and a micrometer scale, respectively. Moreover, AFM measurements show carbon nanotubes are present in individualized form.