Solubility of Functionalized Carbon Nanofibers in Different Aqueous Media

Abstract

Solubility of acid functionalized carbon nanofibers is found to be greatly dependent on a degree of functionalization and pH value of solution. The solubility is close to zero at pH < 1, sharply increases at pH > 1.0–1.5 and slowly declines with further growth of pH value up to 12. Addition of zirconium salts to the solution notably changed the behavior of CNFs; in a pH window between 1.5 and 3.5 the solution contains zirconium and CNFs in a large concentration.

Keywords:

• Carbon nanofibers
• functionalization
• solubility
• complex aqueous systems

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank undergraduate student E. Fadeeva for her helpful assistance with experiments.