Multifunctional and Recollectable Carbon Nanotube Ponytails for Water Purification

作者：Wang Haitao; Ma Hanyu; Zheng Wen; An Dingding^*; Na Chongzheng

来源：ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2014, 6(12): 9426-9434.

DOI：10.1021/am501810f

• carbon nanotube array
• composite without polymeric binder
• palladium nanoparticles
• layered double hydroxide
• layered double oxide
• industrial wastewater
• pathogenic microorganism

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising nanomaterials that have the potential to revolutionize water treatment practices in the future. The direct use of unbounded CNTs, however, poses health risks to humans and ecosystems because they are difficult to separate from treated water. Here, we report the design and synthesis of carbon nanotube ponytails (CNPs) by integrating CNTs into micrometer-sized colloidal particles, which greatly improves the effectiveness of post-treatment separation using gravitational sedimentation, magnetic attraction, and membrane filtration. We further demonstrate that CNPs can effectively perform major treatment tasks including adsorption, disinfection, and catalysis. Using model pollutants such as methylene blue, Escherichia coli, and p-nitrophenol, we show that all the surfaces of individual CNTs in CNPs are accessible during water treatment. Our results suggest that the rational design of hierarchical structures represents a feasible approach to develop nanomaterials for engineering applications such as water and wastewater treatment.

• 出版日期2014-6-25