Synthesis and Characterization of SiO<sub>2</sub>@CNTs Microparticles: Evaluation of Microwave-Induced Heat Production
Panagiotis Kainourgios,
Ioannis A. Kartsonakis,
Costas A. Charitidis
Affiliations
Panagiotis Kainourgios
Research Unit of Advanced, Composite, Nano-Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Street, Zographos, GR-15773 Athens, Greece
Ioannis A. Kartsonakis
Research Unit of Advanced, Composite, Nano-Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Street, Zographos, GR-15773 Athens, Greece
Costas A. Charitidis
Research Unit of Advanced, Composite, Nano-Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Heroon Polytechniou Street, Zographos, GR-15773 Athens, Greece
This study was focused on the growth of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on iron chloride-functionalized silica microspheres. In addition, the microwave absorption potential and the subsequent heat production of the resulting structures were monitored by means of infrared thermometry and compared with pristine commercially available MWCNTs. The functionalized silica microparticle substrates produced MWCNTs without any amorphous carbon but with increased structural defects, whereas their heat production performance as microwave absorbents was comparable to that of the pristine MWCNTs. Two-minute microwave irradiation of the SiO2@CNTs structures resulted in an increase in the material’s temperature from ambient temperature up to 173 °C. This research puts forward a new idea of charge modulation of MWCNTs and sheds light on an investigation for the development of bifunctional materials with improved properties with respect to efficient microwave absorbance.