Effective disentangling method of bundled multi-walled carbon nanotubes into individual multi-walled carbon nanotubes by magnetic-field induction

A simple method that uses magnetic field induction for the disentanglement of bundled multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) that are massively aggregated in a single and intact form was investigated. MWCNTs exposed to a 1 Tesla (T) field periodically switched on and off were separated into individual MWCNTs using 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) as a radical initiator with iron oxide nanoparticles. The study results show that, in accordance with the dissipation working principle, MWCNT bundles under 40 nN achieved complete disentanglement within a few hours, and these results were theoretically verified by an Opera 3D simulation. We anticipate that single CNTs obtained using our method will have applications in several CNT research areas ranging from electronic devices to biocomputers.