NANOFLUID WITH NANOPARTICLE-DECORATED MULTIWALL CARBON NANOTUBES AND METHOD OF PREPARATION THEREOF

摘要

A nanofluid including a base fluid and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) dispersed in the base fluid is disclosed. The MWCNTs have an outer surface provided with polar functional groups. The outer surface has decorated portions covered with nanoparticles and undecorated portions where the polar functional groups are exposed. Also disclosed is a method for preparing a nanofluid. In a first step, MWCNTs are grown on substrates by catalyst-free thermal chemical vapor deposition. In the following step, the MWCNTs' outer surface is functionalized to form polar functional groups covalently bonded thereto. Then, nanoparticles are deposited on the MWCNTs' outer surface such that the outer surface has decorated portions covered with the nanoparticles, while leaving undecorated portions where the polar functional groups are exposed. The resulting nanoparticle-decorated functionalized MWCNTs are then detached from the substrates and dispersed in a base fluid.