Adsorption Mechanisms of Organic Chemicals on Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have drawn special research attention because of their unique properties and potential applications. This review summarizes the research progress of organic chemical adsorption on CNTs, and will provide useful information for CNT application and risk assessment. Adsorption heterogeneity and hysteresis are two widely recognized features of organic chemical-CNT interactions. However, because different mechanisms may act simultaneously, mainly hydrophobic interactions, pi-pi bonds, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonds, the prediction of organic chemical adsorption on CNTs is not straightforward. The dominant adsorption mechanism is different for different types of organic…