Construction of carbon nanotube-based microcapsules by self-assembly

Carbon nanotubes possess unique structures and outstanding properties. However, dispersion and manipulation of carbon nanotubes in solvents severely limit their application. A solution is building carbon nanotube-based microcapsules that combine both the properties of carbon nanotubes and capsules. Carbon nanotube-based microcapsules have indeed great potential applications including catalysts, adsorbents, and controlled-release materials. Here, we built carbon nanotube-based microcapsules by electrostatic self-assembly to develop novel composite materials. The construction and morphology of microcapsules were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Pre-films composed of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) and poly(diallyldimethylammoinum chloride) were assembled onto calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) microparticles to construct positive solid templates. The carboxylated carbon nanotubes were then successfully assembled on the CaCO₃ template using a self-assembly technique. Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used as a powerful chelating agent to remove the CaCO₃ cores by chelation between EDTA and calcium, thus completing the construction of carbon nanotube-based hollow microcapsules. The spherical shapes of the microcapsules were well retained, and the carbon nanotubes were anchored evenly in the polyelectrolyte layers.