A method for the coating of silica spheres with an ultrathin layer of pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes

We describe a method to fabricate silica gel particles coated with a monolayer of pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). SWCNTs dissolved in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) are mixed with amino-functionalized silica gels having different diameters. Strong interaction between the amino group and the SWCNT surfaces induces the adsorption of the SWCNTs on the silica, while the stable solvation in NMP hampers further adsorption of the tubes. This approach enables the production of a homogeneous, nondestructive and high-yield coating of the SWCNTs onto the silica surfaces, especially for larger sphere with a diameter over 1 mu m. The density and bundling degree of the SWCNTs on the silica gel surfaces are finely controlled by simply changing the ratios of the SWCNTs to the silica gels as well as the SWCNT concentrations. We also describe the coating of the silica gels with metallic SWCNTs. The SWCNT-coated silica gels are useful for a wide range of materials, such as the stationary phase for liquid chromatography and catalyst supporting materials. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.