Functionalization of carbon nanotubes by radiation-induced graft polymerization.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylic acid onto the surface of MWCNTs in order to improve their dispersibility in water. 1H NMR, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, and TGA techniques were used to characterize the resulting functionalized MWCNTs. The grafting degree was dependent on the grafting conditions such as the absorbed dose and the monomer concentration. The experimental results confirmed that poly(acrylic acid) chains were successfully grafted onto the surface of the MWCNTs. The poly(acrylic acid)-grafted MWCNTs showed a much better water dispersibility than the pristine MWCNTs.