A facile approach to synthesize poly(4-vinylpyridine)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites: highly water-dispersible carbon nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles
(783-789) Colloid and Polymer Science 289 #7 (2011)
Hua et al of Qingdao University of Science and Technology, China, and University of Western Ontario, Canada, attached high-density and uniform gold nanoparticles on individual multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs).  By simple grinding, water-soluble linear polymers poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP)-wrapped around nanotubes and thus rendered them reversibly soluble in water, ethanol, and DMF.  Individual tubes are clearly observed after PVP-wrapped nanotubes were spin-coated onto a silicon wafer. Subsequently, Au nanoparticles were densely decorated on the individual MWNTs by in situ reduction of HAuCl4 in the homogeneous aqueous solution of MWNTs–PVP to form stable water-dispersible Au/PVP/MWNTs hybrid.  The diameter of the Au nanoparticles is controlled in the range of 3.5 to 13.5 nm.  (RDC 5/17/2011)