We demonstrated size control of Au nanoparticles by heat treatment and their use as a catalyst for single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) growth with narrow size distribution. We used uniformly sized Au nanoparticles from commercial Au colloid, and intentionally decreased their size through heat treatment at 800 oC under atmospheric Ar ambient. ST-cut quartz wafers were used as growth substrates to achieve parallel alignment of the SWNTs and to investigate the size relationship between Au nanoparticles and SWNTs. After the SWNTs were grown via chemical vapor deposition using methane gas, it was found that a high degree of horizontal alignment can be obtained when the particle density is low enough to produce individual SWNTs. The diameter of the Au nanoparticles gradually decreased from 3.8 to 2.9 nm, and the mean diameter of the SWNTs also changed from 1.6 to 1.2 nm for without and 60 min heat treatment, respectively. Raman results reconfirmed that the prolonged heat treatment of nanoparticles yields thinner tubes with narrower size distribution. This work demonstrated that heat treatment can be a straightforward and reliable method to control the size of catalytic nanoparticles and SWNT diameter.

본 연구에서는 탄소나노튜브와 폴리프로필렌 기지 간 계면결합력과 나노튜브의 국부적 응집에 따른 나노복합재의 탄소성거동 변화에 대한 파라메트릭 연구를 수행한다. 나노복합재의 탄소성 거동 예측을 위해 분자동역학 전산모사를 수행하고, 분자동역학 결과와 Mori-Tanaka 모델을 적용한 비선형 미시역학 모델을 연계하여 나노복합재 내 흡착계면의 탄소성 거동을 역으로 도출하는 2단계 영역분할 기법을 적용하였다. 미시역학 모델에서는 시컨트 계수방법을 Mori-Tanaka 모델에 적용하여 나노복합재의 비선형 거동을 예측하는 방법을 적용하였으며, 나노튜브와 기지 간 재료계면의 불완전 결합을 고려하기 위해 변위 불연속 조건을 적용하였다. 흡착영역을 고려한 미시역학 모델을 통해 흡착계면의 유무 및 재료계면 결합력 변화 그리고 나노튜브의 국부적 응집현상에 따른 나노복합재의 응력-변형률 관계를 예측하였다. 그 결과 나노튜브의 국부적 응집이나노복합재의 강화효과를 저하시키는 가장 중요한 변수임을 확인하였다.

Flexible transparent conducting films (TCFs) were fabricated by dip-coating single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The amount of coated SWCNTs was controlled simply by dipping number. Because the performance of SWCNT-based TCFs is influenced by both electrical conductance and optical transmittance, we evaluated the film performance by introducing a film property factor using both the number of interconnected SWCNT bundles at intersection points, and the coverage of SWCNTs on the PET substrate, in field emission scanning electron microscopic images. The microscopic film property factor was in an excellent agreement with the macroscopic one determined from electrical conductance and optical transmittance measurements, especially for a small number of dippings. Therefore, the most crucial factor governing the performance of the SWCNT-based TCFs is a SWCNT-network structure with a large number of intersection points for a minimum amount of deposited SWCNTs.

In this work, we report in-situ observations of changes in catalyst morphology, and of growth termination of individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs), by complete loss of the catalyst particle attached to it. The observations strongly support the growth-termination mechanism of CNT forests or carpets by dynamic morphological evolution of catalyst particles induced by Ostwald ripening, and sub-surface diffusion. We show that in the tip-growth mode, as well as in the base-growth mode, the growth termination of CNT by dissolution of catalyst particles is plausible. This may allow the growth termination mechanism by evolution of catalyst morphology to be applicable to not only CNT forest growth, but also to other growth methods (for example, floating-catalyst chemical vapor deposition), which do not use any supporting layer or substrate beneath a catalyst layer.

Carbon nanotube-dispersed bismuth telluride matrix (CNT/Bi2Te3) nanopowders were synthesized by chem- ical routes followed by a ball-milling process. The microstructures of the synthesized CNT/Bi2Te3 nanopowders showed the characteristic microstructure of CNTs dispersed among disc-shaped Bi2Te3 nanopowders with as an average size of 500 nm in-plane and a few tens of nm in thickness. The prepared nanopowders were sintered into composites with a homogeneous dispersion of CNTs in a Bi2Te3 matrix. The dimensionless figure-of-merit of the composite showed an enhanced value compared to that of pure Bi2Te3 at the room temperature due to the reduced thermal conductivity and increased electrical conductivity with the addition of CNTs.

It has been demonstrated in a previous study that carbon nanotube (CNT)/epoxy/basalt composites produce better flexural properties than epoxy/basalt composites. In this study, mode I fracture tests were conducted using CNT/epoxy/basalt composites with and without seawater absorption in order to investigate the effect of the seawater absorption on the mode I fracture toughness (GIC) of the CNT/epoxy/basalt composites. The results demonstrated that the compliance of the seawater-absorbed specimen was larger than that of the dry specimen at the same crack length, while the opposite result was obtained for the fracture load. The GIC value of the seawater-absorbed CNT/epoxy/basalt composites was approximately 20% lower than that of the dry CNT/epoxy/basalt composites.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly attracting scientific and industrial interest because of their outstanding characteristics, such as a high Young's modulus and tensile strength, low density, and excellent electrical and thermal properties. The incorporation of CNTs into polymer matrices greatly improves the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the materials. Surface modification of CNTs can improve their processibility and dispersion within the composites. This paper aims to review the surface modification of CNTs, processing technologies, and mechanical and electrical properties of CNT-based epoxy composites.

A fabrication method to improve the processability of thermoplastic carbon nanotube (CNT) mat composites was investigated by using in-situ polymerizable and low viscous cyclic butylene terephthalate oligomers. The electrical conductivity of the CNT mat composites strongly depended on the compression pressure, and the trend can be explained in terms of two cases, low and high compression pressure, respectively. High CNT mat content in the CNT mat composites and the surface of the CNT mat composites with fully contacted CNTs was achieved under high compression pressure, and direct contact between four probes and the surface of the CNT mat composites with fully contacted CNTs gave resistance of 2.1Ω. In this study the maximum electrical conductivity of the CNT mat composites, obtained under a maximum applied compression pressure of 27 MPa, was 11 904 S m-1, where the weight fraction of the CNT mat was 36.5%.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties compared with those of commercialized high-performance fibers. For use in the form of fabrics that can maintain such properties, individual CNTs should be held together in fibers or made into yarns twisted out of the fibers. Typical methods that are used for such purposes include (a) surfactant-based coagulation spinning, which injects a polymeric binder between CNTs to form fibers; (b) liquid-crystalline spinning, which uses the nature of CNTs to form liquid crystals under certain conditions; (c) direct spinning, which can produce CNT fibers or yarns at the same time as synthesis by introducing a carbon source into a vertical furnace; and (d) forest spinning, which draws and twists CNTs grown vertically on a substrate. However, it is difficult for those CNT fibers to express the excellent properties of individual CNTs as they are. As solutions to this problem, post-treatment processes are under development for improving the production process of CNT fibers or enhancing their properties. This paper discusses the recent methods of fabricating CNT fibers and examines some post-treatment processes for property enhancement and their applications.

In this work, iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were deposited on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by a simple chemical coprecipitation method and Fe3O4-decorated MWNTs (Fe-MWNTs)/polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposites (Fe-MWNTs/PPy) were prepared by oxidation polymerization. The effect of the PPy on the electrochemical properties of the Fe-MWNTs was investigated. The structures characteristics and surface properties of MWNTs, Fe-MWNTs, and Fe-MWNTs/PPy were characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The electrochemical performances of MWNTs, Fe-MWNTs, and Fe-MWNTs/PPy were determined by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge characteristics in a 1.0 M sodium sulfite electrolyte. The results showed that the Fe-MWNTs/PPy electrode had typical pseudo-capacitive behavior and a specific capacitance significantly greater than that of the Fe-MWNT electrode, indicating an enhanced electrochemical performance of the Fe-MWNTs/PPy due to their high electrical properties.

A investigation of electrochemical analysis of antibiotics Neomycin (C23H46N6O13) was searched using electrochemical square wave (SW) stripping and cyclic voltammetry (CV) using working sensor of the modified carbon nanotube combination electrodes, optimum diagnostic parameters were searched by anodic stripping, final conditions were attained to working range of 1.0-14.0 ng/L, detection limit (S/N) was found to be 0.6 ng/L. The developed method was discovered to be fitting in quality control in the food, pharmaceutical and other manufacturing sectors.

Nanocomposite films were made by a simple solution casting method in which multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) were used as dopant materials to enhance the electrical conductivity of chitosan nanocomposite films. The films contained fixed CNT concentrations (5, 8, and 10 wt%) and varying Fe3O4 content. It was determined that a 1:1 ratio of CNT to Fe3O4 provided optimal conductivity according to dopant material loading. X-ray diffraction patterns for the nanocomposite films, were determined to investigate their chemical and phase composition, revealed that nanoparticle agglomeration occurred at high Fe3O4 loadings, which hindered the synergistic effect of the doping materials on the conductivity of the films.

We report on the NO gas sensing properties of Al-doped zinc oxide-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) wire-like layered composites fabricated by coaxially coating Al-doped ZnO thin films on randomly oriented single-walled carbon nanotubes. We were able to wrap thin ZnO layers around the CNTs using the pulsed laser deposition method, forming wire-like nanostructures of ZnO-CNT. Microstructural observations revealed an ultrathin wire-like structure with a diameter of several tens of nm. Gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites were found to exhibit a novel sensing capability that originated from the genuine characteristics of the composites. Specifically, it was observed by measured gas sensing characteristics that the gas sensors based on ZnO-CNT layered composites showed a very high sensitivity of above 1,500% for NO gas in dry air at an optimal operating temperature of 200˚C; the sensors also showed a low NO gas detection limit at a sub-ppm level in dry air. The enhanced gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT wire-like layered composites are ascribed to a catalytic effect of Al elements on the surface reaction and an increase in the effective surface reaction area of the active ZnO layer due to the coating of CNT templates with a higher surface-to-volume ratio structure. These results suggest that ZnO-CNT composites made of ultrathin Al-doped ZnO layers uniformly coated around carbon nanotubes can be promising materials for use in practical high-performance NO gas sensors.

We discuss the influence of few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWCNTs) treated with nitric acid and/or sulfuric acid on field emission characteristics. FWCNTs/tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) thin film field emitters were fabricated by a spray method using FWCNTs/TEOS sol one-component solution onto indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. After thermal curing, they were found tightly adhered to the ITO glass, and after an activation process by a taping method, numerous FWCNTs were aligned preferentially in the vertical direction. Pristine FWCNT/TEOS-based field emitters revealed higher current density, lower turn-on field, and a higher field enhancement factor than the oxidized FWCNTs-based field emitters. However, the unstable dispersion of pristine FWCNT in TEOS/N,N-dimethylformamide solution was not applicable to the field emitter fabrication using a spray method. Although the field emitter of nitric acid-treated FWCNT showed slightly lower field emission characteristics, this could be improved by the introduction of metal nanoparticles or resistive layer coating. Thus, we can conclude that our spray method using nitric acid-treated FWCNT could be useful for fabricating a field emitter and offers several advantages compared to previously reported techniques such as chemical vapor deposition and screen printing.

The use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a reinforcing material in a polymer matrix has in-creased in various industries. In this study, the flexuralbehavior of CNT-modifiedepoxy/basalt (CNT/epoxy/basalt) composites is investigated. The effects of CNT modificationwith silane on the flexuralproperties of CNT/epoxy/basalt composites were also examined. Flexural tests were performed using epoxy/basalt, oxidized CNT/epoxy/basalt, and silanized CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites. After the flexuraltests, the fracture surfaces of the specimens were examined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the fracture mechanisms of the CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites with respect to the CNT modificatio process. The flexuralproperties of the epoxy/basalt composites were im-proved by the addition of CNTs. The flexuralmodulus and strength of the silane-treated CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites increased by approximately 54% and 34%, re-spectively, compared to those of epoxy/basalt composites. A SEM examination of the frac-ture surfaces revealed that the improvement in the flexuralproperties of the silane-treated CNT/epoxy/basalt multi-scale composites could be attributed to the improved dispersion of the CNTs in the epoxy.

We present the effect of a coupling agent on the optoelectrical properties of few-walled carbon nanotube (FWCNT)/epoxy resin hybrid films fabricated on glass substrates. The FWCNT/epoxy resin mixture solution was successfully prepared by the direct mixing of a HNO3-treated FWCNT solution and epoxy resin. FWCNT/binder hybrid films containing different amounts of the coupling agent were then fabricated on UV-ozone-treated glass substrates. To determine the critical binder content (Xc), the effects of varying the binder content in the FWCNT/silane hybrid films on their optoelectrical properties were investigated. In this system, the Xc value was approximately 75 wt%. It was found that above Xc, the coupling agent effectively decreased the sheet resistance of the films. From microscopy images, it was observed that by adding the coupling agent, more uniform FWCNT/binder films were formed.

We investigated tribological characteristics of diamond-like carbon (DLC) in a condition with carbon nanotube (CNT) content of 1wt% in aqueous solution. Si-DLC films were deposited by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) process on Al6061 aluminum alloy. In this study, the deposition of DLC films was carried out in vacuum with a chamber pressure of 10-5 to 10-3 Torr achieved by mechanical pump followed by turbo molecular pump. The surface adsorbed oxygen on the Aluminum substrates was removed by passing Ar gas for 10 minutes. The RF power was maintained at 500W throughout the experiment. A buffer layer of HMDSO was deposited on the substrate to improve the adhesion of DLC coating. At this point CH4 gas was introduced in the chamber using gas flow controller and DLC coating was deposited on the buffer layer along with HMDSO for 50 min. The thickness of 1 μm was obtained for DLC films on aluminum substrates The tribological properties of as synthesized DLC films were analyzed by wear test in the presence of dry air, water and lubricant such as CNT ink.

Gold have been used as an electrode materials having a good mechanical flexibility as well as electrical conductivity, however the stretchability of the gold on a flexible substrate is poor because of its small elastic modulus. To overcome this mechanical inferiority, the reinforcing gold is necessary for the stretchable electronics. Among the reinforcing materials having a large elastic modulus, carbon nanotube (CNT) is the best candidate due to its good electrical conductivity and nanoscale diameter. Therefore, similarly to ferroconcrete technology, here we demonstrated gold electrodes mechanically reinforced by inserting fabrics of CNTs into their bodies. Flexibility and stretchability of the electrodes were determined for various densities of CNT fabrics. The roles of CNTs in resisting electrical disconnection of gold electrodes from the mechanical stress were confirmed using field emission scanning electron microscope and optical microscope. The best mechanical stability was achieved at a density of CNT fabrics manufactured by 1.5 ml spraying. The concept of the mechanical reinforced metal electrode by CNT is the first trial for the high stretchable conductive materials, and can be applied as electrodes materials in various flexible and stretchable electronic devices such as transistor, diode, sensor and solar cell and so on.

In this work, fabrication and electrochemical analysis of an individual multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) electrode are carried out to confirm the applicability of electrochemical sensing. The reactive ion etching (RIE) process is performed to obtain sensitive MWNT electrodes. In order to characterize the electrochemical properties, an individual MWNT is cut by RIE under oxygen atmosphere into two segments with a small gap: one segment is applied to the working electrode and the other is used as a counter electrode. Electrical contacts are provided by nanolithography to the two MWNT electrodes. Dopamine is specially selected as an analytical molecule for electrochemical detection using the MWNT electrode. Using a quasi-Ag/AgCl reference electrode, which was fabricated by us, the nanoelectrodes are subjected to cyclic voltammetry inside a 2μL droplet of dopamine solution. In the experiment, RIE power is found to be a more effective parameter to cut an individual MWNT and to generate "broken" open state, which shows good electrochemical performance, at the end of the MWNT segments. It is found that the pico-molar level concentration of analytical molecules can be determined by an MWNT electrode. We believe that the MWNT electrode fabricated and treated by RIE has the potential for use in high-sensitivity electrochemical measurement and that the proposed scheme can contribute to device miniaturization.

This study investigates the effect of filler content (wt%), presence of interphase and agglomerates on the effective Young's modulus of polypropylene (PP) based nanocomposites reinforced with exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnPTM) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The Young's modulus of the composites is determined using tensile testing based on ASTM D638. The reinforcement/polymer interphase is characterized in terms of width and mechanical properties using atomic force microscopy which is also used to investigate the presence and size of agglomerates. It is found that the interphase has an average width of ~30 nm and modulus in the range of 5 to 12 GPa. The Halpin-Tsai micromechanical model is modified to account for the effect of interphase and filler agglomerates and the model predictions for the effective modulus of the composites are compared to the experimental data. The presented results highlight the need of considering various experimentally observed filler characteristics such as agglomerate size and aspect ratio and presence and properties of interphase in the micromechanical models in order to develop better design tools to fabricate multifunctional polymer nanocomposites with engineered properties.