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Modification of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) plays an important role to produce MWCNT crossbreeds that may be useful for exploration of new materials. In this report, characterization of dimethyl dioctadecylammonium bromide (DDOAB) modified multi-walled carbon nanotube (Mo-MWCNT) using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) is described. FTIR shows the presence of both aliphatic (CH stretching and CH bending) and ammonium (CN stretching) groups from DDOAB and the existence of C=C aromatic functional group from the structure of MWCNT in Mo-MWCNT spectra. This result was supported by TGA result which suggests that there are weight losses due to the degradation of DDOAB (between 250 °C to 500 °C) in the product. In addition, XRD pattern remain after modification suggesting attachment of MWCNT and DDOAB occurs at the surface of MWCNT.

In this work, the adsorption effect of volatile organic compounds (chloroacetophenone, acetonitrile and hexane) towards the change of resistance of CNTs pellet as sensor signal was investigated. CNTs used in this research were synthesized using Floating Catalyst – Chemical Vapor Deposition (FC-CVD) method in optimum condition. The synthesized CNTs were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Raman Spectroscopy. The variation of resistance changes towards the tested gases were recorded using a multimeter. CNTs sensor pellet showed good responses towards the tested gases, however, the sensitivity, response time and recovery time of sensor pellet need to be optimized.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) has attracted much attention of many industrialists as well as academicians as these materials can be used as catalysts, adsorbents, anion exchangers, stabilizers and fillers for polymers. The materials which consist of divalent and trivalent cations, and anions are nontoxic and easy to prepare. In addition, the exchangeability of their anions makes them easy to be modified to increase their hydrophobicity property through anion exchange process using long chain surfactant anions. In this study, sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES) modified LDHs was prepared by coprecipitation of LDHs and followed SLES ions modification via ion exchange process. Intercalations of the anions into the LDHs layers were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The presence of functional groups before and after modification was studied by FTIR spectrometry. Thermalgravitmeric analysis also was carried out to determine the amount of surfactant intercalated into LDHs.