In this study, Fe–Mo–MgO catalysts for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared using the combustion method and CNTs were synthesized through catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The combustion time was controlled to 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, and 24 h in the catalyst preparation stage. The residual carbon contents after the combustion stage and the morphologies of synthesized CNTs were also analyzed. The diameter, yield, and crystallinity of the synthesized CNTs were found to remarkably vary according to the combustion time in the catalyst preparation process. The amount of residual carbon in the catalyst considerably affects the purity, crystallinity, diameter and its distribution, and wall number of CNTs. Based on the yield and crystallinity, CNTs synthesized using the catalyst with a combustion time of 3 h were determined to be the most appropriate for application in field emitters

A simple, but effective means of tailoring the physical and chemical properties of carbon materials should be secured. In this sense, chemical doping by incorporating boron or nitrogen into carbon materials has been examined as a powerful tool which provides distinctive advantages over exohedral doping. In this paper, we review recent results pertaining methods by which to introduce boron atoms into the sp2 carbon lattice by means of high-temperature thermal diffusion, the properties induced by boron doping, and promising applications of this type of doping. We envisage that intrinsic boron doping will accelerate both scientific and industrial developments in the area of carbon science and technology in the future.

We demonstrated the sensitivity of optically active single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a diameter below 1 nm that were homogeneously dispersed in cement composites under a mechanical load. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was selected as the dispersing agent to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of SWCNTs in an aqueous solution, and the dispersion state of the SWCNTs were characterized using various optical tools. It was found that the addition of a large amount of DNA prohibited the structural evolution of calcium hydroxide and calcium silicate hydrate. Based on the in-situ Raman and X-ray diffraction studies, it was evident that hydrophilic functional groups within the DNA strongly retarded the hydration reaction. The optimum amount of DNA with respect to the cement was found to be 0.05 wt%. The strong Raman signals coming from the SWCNTs entrapped in the cement composites enabled us to understand their dispersion state within the cement as well as their interfacial interaction. The G and G’ bands of the SWCNTs sensitively varied under mechanical compression. Our results indicate that an extremely small amount of SWCNTs can be used as an optical strain sensor if they are homogeneously dispersed within cement composites.