Boehmite Nanofibers as a Dispersant for Nanotubes in an Aqueous Sol

By exploiting the dispersibility and rigidity of boehmite nanofibers (BNFs) with a high aspect ratio of 4 nm in diameter and several micrometers in length, multiwall-carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully dispersed in aqueous solutions. In these sols, the MWCNTs were dispersed at a ratio of about 5–8% relative to BNFs. Self-standing BNF–nanotube films were also obtained by filtering these dispersions and showing their functionality. These films can be expected to be applied to sensing materials.