Synthesis of MWNT-based composite materials with inorganic coating

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) based metal oxide composites were prepared by an impregnation method using organometallic compounds as precursor. Aluminium isopropoxide (A1IP), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and tetraethyl orthotitanate (TEOTi) were used as inorganic sources and decomposed by hydrolysis on the surface of carbon nanotubes. The composites were subsequently investigated by transmission electron microscopy and their coverage was compared. A direct, solvent-free impregnation technique turned out to be the most successful for all organometallic compounds and provided homogeneous inorganic cover layer on the surface of purified MWNTs. (C) 2003 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.