Analysis of Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in m-Cresol

Abstract

We analyzed the dispersion state of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in m-cresol using dispersion stability analysis, optical microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The high dispersion stability of CNT/m-cresol dispersion was observed when it was sufficiently treated with ultrasonication. Despite the high dispersion stability, optical microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy analysis of various CNT/m-cresol dispersions revealed that CNT bundles in m-cresol were not dispersed into individual CNTs. We also propose that the blue-shift of the G peak of CNTs in m-cresol in the Raman spectrum, which had been reported as evidence of the formation of the charge-transfer complex between m-cresol and CNTs, is rather attributed to the interference of m-cresol's inherent peak at around 1600 cm(-1).