Amine-Functionalized Carbon Nanoparticles

Engineering nanomaterials from recycled materials and functionalizing them with appropriate ligands may generate novel photoelectric properties with many electronic applications.  It is hypothesized that when an amine functional group is added to carbon nanoparticles, the newly formed compound may show an increase or decrease in conductivity properties.  To this end, carbon nanoparticles from natural gas soot are being derived and functionalized with amine groups and their conductivity properties are being studied.  Carbon particles from natural gas soot are purified through filtration and dialysis.  Once carbon particles are acquired, UV-vis and photoluminescence analyses are performed to verify proper synthesis.  After verification the carboxylic acid groups are removed via a hydrothermal method followed by the addition of amine functional groups, which leads to the covalent attachment of the ligands onto the carbon nanoparticle surface.  The conductivity properties of the resulting nanoparticles are then evaluated at controlled temperatures from which the energetic barrier for interparticle charge transfer will be estimated.  The discovery of new compounds with unique electronic conductivity properties can lead to innovations in science potentially advancing the technologies of nanoelectronics, chemical/biological sensing, fuel cells, and photovoltaics.