Abstract
A hybrid system made of single-wall carbon nanotube bundles (average
diameter of approximately 20 nm and length of several tens of
nanometers) highly covered with gold nanoparticles (average diameter of
5 nm) was prepared through the functionalization of the nanotube surface
with 4,4'-thiobisbenzenethiol molecules followed by the anchoring of
gold nanoparticles. The decoration of single wall carbon nanotubes with
gold nanoparticles was performed using two different methods, named as
ex situ and in situ, which refer to the gold reduction before or during
the contact with the nanotubes, respectively. Transmission electron
microscopy images showed that both methods lead to a successful
decoration of the single wall carbon nanotube bundles, although
different density of gold nanoparticles covering the bundles was
observed to depend on the reaction methods. Resonance Raman spectroscopy
data were used to follow the electronic changes of the carbon nanotubes
after gold nanoparticles loading and confirmed the strong interactions
of the gold nanoparticles with the 4,4'-thiobisbenzenethiol molecules
and the carbon nanotubes. This interaction was probed in the Raman
spectrum which unveiled a surface enhancement Raman effect of the thiol
molecule Raman signals, not observed before the attachment of metallic
nanoparticles onto 4,4'-thiobisbenzenethiol functionalized carbon
nanotubes.
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