Mixed Surfactant Solutions for the Dispersion of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and the Study of Their Antibacterial Activity.

The dispersibility of mixed surfactant-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and their effect on antibacterial activity were examined. The ratio of 9:1 between sodium dodecyl benzene-sulfate (SDBS) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) showed the highest dispersing power for MWNTs. The use of mixed surfactants enabled the MWNTs to form a stable dispersion at a lower total surfactant concentration than their concentrations when used alone. UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to characterize the dispersion of MWNTs in the aqueous phase. The results indicated that the surfactant molecules had been successfully adsorbed onto the surface of the MWNTs. The mixed surfactant-modified MWNTs exhibited a strong antibacterial activity and concentration dependence to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Based on the considerations of the cost and environmental impact, the use of mixed surfactants (SDBS-CTAB) should be more favorable for the stable dispersion of MWNTs and the improvement of antibacterial activity than the use of a single surfactant.