Microwave irradiation for chemical modification of carbon nanotubes for better dispersion

A mixture of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and alkylamines was irradiated using microwave at various powers and for various durations. The amount of the resulting SWCNTs dispersed in chloroform was monitored as. a function of time. We showed that irradiating a 100W microwave for 20 min is sufficient to stably disperse SWCNTs. Moreover, nearly all SWCNTs irradiated using the microwave remained dispersed over a period of one month. In comparison, the same reaction conducted by ordinary oil-heating required a few days of refluxing and gave a 60% yield at best. These results indicate that microwave irradiation is a powerful method of enhancing the dispersibility of SWCNTs, by chemical modification.