title: Rapid carbon nanotubes suspension in organic solvents using organosilicon polymers.
abstract: A strategy for a simple dispersion of commercial multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using two organosilicones, polycarbosilane SMP10 and polysilazane Ceraset PSZ20, in organic solvents such as cyclohexane, tetrahydrofuran (THF), m-xylene and chloroform is presented. In just a few minutes the combined action of sonication and the presence of Pt(0) catalyst is sufficient to obtain a homogeneous suspension, thanks to the rapid hydrosilylation reaction between SiH groups of the polymer and the CNT sidewall. The as-produced suspensions have a particle size distribution <1μm and remain unchanged after several months. A maximum of 0.47 and 0.50mg/ml was achieved, respectively, for Ceraset in THF and SMP10 in chloroform. Possible applications as polymeric and ceramic thin films or aerogels are presented.
authors.affiliation: Empa, Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, Duebendorf, Switzerland; Laboratory for Multifunctional Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland. Electronic address: dalca82@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dalcanale
authors.affiliation: Microsystems Laboratory, EPFL, Station 17, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: jonas.grossenbacher@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grossenbacher
authors.affiliation: Empa, Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, Duebendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: Gurdial.Blugan@empa.ch.
authors.forename: Gurdial
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blugan
authors.affiliation: Microsystems Laboratory, EPFL, Station 17, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: rosario.gullo@rudevoltage.ch.
authors.forename: Maurizio R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gullo
authors.affiliation: Microsystems Laboratory, EPFL, Station 17, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: juergen.brugger@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brugger
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Cardiovascular Surgery, Inselspital Berne, Berne University Hospital and University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: Hendrik.TevaearaiStahel@insel.ch.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tevaearai
authors.affiliation: Empa, Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, Duebendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: Thomas.Graule@empa.ch.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Graule
authors.affiliation: Empa, Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Ueberlandstrasse 129, Duebendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: Jakob.Kuebler@empa.ch.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuebler
keywords: Aerogel; Hydrosilylation; MWCNT suspension; Polycarbosilane; Polysilazane