Monitoring of carboxylic carbon nanotubes in surface water by using multiwalled carbon nanotube-modified filter as preconcentration unit

Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Aug 15;42(16):6100-4. doi: 10.1021/es800896c.

Abstract

In this paper, for the first time, the possibility of preconcentrating and determining carboxylic single-walled carbon nanotubes (c-SWNTs) from environmental water samples is demonstrated. The method is based on the preconcentration of c-SWNTs and their further electrophoretic analysis. The preconcentration of c-SWNTs has been successfully performed on a filter modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), which allows the use of high preconcentration rates. MWNT-modified filters were fabricated in the laboratory from a surfactant dispersion of MWNTs. The main variables affecting the preconcentration of analytes are studied and discussed in the paper. Electrophoretic separation of carboxylic SWNTs was accomplished by using a 50 mM ammonium acetate solution at pH 7.5 as a background electrolyte and a potential of 15 kV. Under these conditions, separation was completed within only 5 min. Recoveries for the analysis of spiked samples ranged from 70 to 85% and the precision from 6.4 to 7.3%.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carboxylic Acids / chemistry*
  • Electrophoresis
  • Environmental Monitoring / instrumentation*
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Filtration / instrumentation*
  • Hydrolysis
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Water / chemistry*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry

Substances

  • Carboxylic Acids
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Water