Characterization of the chemical bonding between Al ₂O ₃ and nanotube in MWCNT/ Al ₂O ₃ nanocomposite

This work investigates the possible chemical bond formation between functionalized carbon nanotubes and alumina, in multiwall carbon nanotubes/alumina nanocomposite (MWCNT/Al ₂O ₃), with the aid of spectroscopic analysis. For this purpose, the nanocomposite MWCNT/alumina was synthesized via hydrothermal treatment. Different characterization techniques, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscope and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, have been used to investigate the interaction of the nanocomposite. XRD data confirmed the main alumina phase on the nanotube was α - Al ₂O ₃, with 12 nm average crystallite size. The presence of a shift in the carbonyl peak between oxidized nanotube and the nanocomposite, from 1710 cm ^-1 to 1630 cm ^-1 indicates the formation of chemical bond between alumina and CNT tips. The study predicts the possibility of covalent chemical bonding between alumina and the nanotube.