Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2011
UV- and vacuum UV-assisted photo-oxidation of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) paper occurred with: (1) atmospheric oxygen pressure using low-pressure Hg lamps (λ = 253.7 and 184.9 nm), (2) low oxygen pressure employing emission downstream from an Ar microwave plasma (λ = 106.7 and 104.8 nm), and (3) high pressures of He in a rotating d.c. arc that was designed to produce a spectral continuum from He excimers (λ = 58 - 110 nm). The photo-oxidized materials were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. UV photo-oxidation was demonstrated to be a controlled dry procedure for introducing oxygenated functional groups (C-O-C, C=O, O-C=O and O=C-O-C=O) on SWNTs.