Research on the dispersion of functionalized carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in aqueous solution

Achieving stable and uniform suspensions of multiwalled carbon nanofibers (CNFs) is crucial for their practical applications. This study utilizes an acid treatment to functionalize CNFs, enabling their dispersion in water. Subsequently, a combination of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a dispersant and ultrasonic processing is employed to enhance the dispersion of the functionalized CNFs. Techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy, surface tension measurements, zeta potential analysis, and adsorption isotherm evaluation are applied to assess the dispersion quality. Furthermore, the underlying dispersion mechanism is investigated through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. The experiments reveal that the optimal SDS concentration for dispersing functionalized CNFs in water is 0.25 g/L. TEM analysis demonstrates that SDS effectively disrupts the clustering of nanofiber bundles, significantly reducing their thickness. The dispersion process is driven by the interplay of hydrophobic interactions and the barrier effect of SDS molecules, which inhibit the re-aggregation of functionalized CNFs.