Organic molecules interactions with nanostructured carbon

Abstract

The aim of this work is to verify the possibility of a new generation of carbon-based sorbents application, specifically sorption capacity of commercially available multiwalled carbon nanotubes Nanocyl 7000 for organic compounds is being studied. In this work, the properties of pristine carbon nanotubes are studied, as well as properties and sorption capacity of original material modified by sonification and oxidation with sodium hypochlorite. Interaction of these nanostructures with representatives of the basic derivatives of aromatic compounds (naphthalene, toluene, aniline, phenol, benzoic acid, nitrobenzene, chlorobenzene) are studied using the method of static (batch) sorption. It was found that sorption efficiency of carbon nanotubes is influenced by substituents on aromatic cycle, when the strongest interactions were between carbon nanotubes and nitrobenzene and benzoic acid, the weakest with phenol and aniline. Surface modification increased sorption efficiency in case of all studied compounds, especially for naphthalene, toluene, chlorobenzene, phenol and aniline.