Immobilized CdS Nanoparticles on Poly(amidoamine)-Functionalized MWCNTs

The successful deposition of CdS nanoparticles onto poly(amidoamine)-functionalized MWCNTs was achieved. Initially, tert-butoxycarbonyl-protected amino-terminated aryl units were covalently attached onto the sidewalls of MWCNTs. Then, the bottom-up growth of 2nd generation carboxyl-terminated poly(amidoamine) dendron, covalently attached onto aryl-modified MWCNTs, was achieved. Finally, Cd2+ cations, stabilized onto poly(amidoamine)-modified MWCNTs, were reduced in the presence of sulfide anions resulting to the formation of CdS nanoparticles deposited onto MWCNTs. The CdS/MWCNTs nanohybrid material was fully characterized with complementary spectroscopic and thermal techniques. Transmission electron microscopy imaging allowed to directly observing medium-sized CdS nanoparticles of around 20 nm in diameter decorating the skeleton of functionalized MWCNTs, while photoluminescence studies revealed quantitative quenching of the characteristic emission of CdS in the CdS/MWCNTs hybrid, thus suggesting the presence of interesting intrahybrid energy and/or electron transfer phenomena. (C) 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.