Single and multi-walled carbon nanotubes as sorbents for air monitoring

Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain, Chutarat Saridara, Somenath Mitra

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess some highly desirable sorbent characteristics, which makes them attractive for a variety of applications including micro-scale preconcentration of organics. The main advantage of CNTs is that their high aspect ratio leads to large specific capacity. At the same time, unlike conventional carbon based sorbents, they are non-porous tubular structures, thus eliminating the mass transfer resistance related to diffusion into pores. In this paper we present sorption characteristics of select organics on single (SWNT) and multi-walled (MWNT) carbon nanotubes packed and self-assembled onto micro-sorbent traps. The data demonstrates that adsorption as well as desorption are highly favorable on the CNTs. The former is characterized by relatively large breakthrough volumes and isosteric heats of adsorption (AHs close to 64 kJ/mole), while rapid recovery was demonstrated by narrow desorption band widths. The elimination of nontubular carbonaceous impurities from the CNT surface was important, because they reduced the performance of these sorbents. The sorption/desorption characteristics of the SWNT and the MWNT were quite similar and significantly better than a commercial sorbent studied here.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAir and Waste Management Association
Subtitle of host publicationSymposium on Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology 2008
Pages80-87
Number of pages8
StatePublished - 2008
EventSymposium on Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology 2008 - Chapel Hill, NC, United States
Duration: Nov 3 2008Nov 6 2008

Publication series

NameAir and Waste Management Association: Symposium on Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology 2008

Other

OtherSymposium on Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology 2008
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityChapel Hill, NC
Period11/3/0811/6/08

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Waste Management and Disposal

Keywords

  • Carbon nanotubes
  • Gas chromatography
  • Microtrap
  • Sorbent

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