Dispersing carbon nanotubes in aqueous solutions by a silicon surfactant: Experimental and molecular dynamics simulation study

MWCNTs dispersion adopting GA and its application towards copper tailings-based cementitious materials

Hydrophobic carbon nanotubes are hardly to disperse in water and prone to agglomerate when poured with Copper Tailing-Based Cementitious Material (CTCM). Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) + Arabic Gum (GA) dispersions were prepared by a novel method of synergistic optimization of concentration, controlling low-frequency ultrasonic time and setting the ambient temperature with non-toxic anionic surfactant GA as surfactant. The results of UV-Vis spectroscopy showed that the high stability MWCNTs + GA dispersion with low aggregation area (< 1.2%) and low aggregation beam size (< 219 nm) have been prepared by using 1.7 mmol/l GA. The effects of highly stable MWCNTs dispersion on the mechanical properties, microstructure and durability of CTCM were studied. The 28 days compressive strength increased by 21.5%, and the flexural strength increased by 20.5%, almost reaching the mechanical level of the control group. The results of SEM, XRD and EDS showed that GA significantly enhanced the dispersion of MWCNT in aqueous solution at a suitable concentration (mass ratio of GA:CNTs = 1:1). The microstructure of the prepared CTCM by high stability MWCNTs dispersion was optimized obviously, and the mechanical properties and durability were improved significantly. This method solves the dual problem of MWCNTs not being fully dispersed in aqueous solution and being easily re-agglomerated in cementitious materials, as well as finding a breakthrough for the low cost and industrialization of tailings cement-based composite cementitious materials.

Investigation on interaction of DNA and several cationic surfactants with different head groups by spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis and viscosity technologies

In this study, the interaction between DNA and several cationic surfactants with different head groups such as ethyl hexadecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (EHDAB), hexadecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (HDBAC), and cetyl pyridinium bromide (CPB) were investigated by UV-vis absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, and viscosity technologies. The results show that these cationic surfactants can interact with DNA and major binding modes are electrostatic and hydrophobic. Also, CPB and HDBAC molecules interact with DNA by partial intercalation, and CPB has slightly stronger intercalation than HDBAC, while EHDAB interacts with DNA by non-intercalation. The different head groups of the surfactant molecules can influence the interaction strength. CPB has the stronger interaction with DNA than the others. Moreover, surfactant concentration, the ratio of DNA and fluorescence probe, ionic strength can influence the interaction. The surfactants may interact with DNA by the competition reactions with BR for DNA-BR. The increase of ionic strength may favor the surface binding between DNA and surfactants to some extent. This work provides deep mechanistic insight on the toxicity of cationic surfactants with different head groups to DNA molecules.