Carbon-assisted catalyst pretreatment enables straightforward synthesis of high-density carbon nanotube forests
Abstract
In spite of extensive academic and commercial development, a comprehensive understanding of the principles necessary for high-yield production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is lacking, whether in oriented films, bulk powders, or other forms. In chemical vapor deposition growth of CNT films on substrates, trace contaminants of carbon, such as deposits on the reactor tube walls, are known to cause inconsistency in key production metrics, including CNT density and alignment. Here, we show that trace exposure of the catalyst to carbon during initial heating of the catalyst film is a critical determinant of CNT yield, and this carbon exposure accelerates catalyst nanoparticle formation via film dewetting and increases the probability of CNT nucleation and the resultant density of the CNT population. Through controlled exposure of the catalyst to a trace amount of carbon, we show up to a 4-fold increase in bulk mass density for a given forest height, an 8-fold increase in local CNT number density, and a 2-fold increase in the growth lifetime, relative to a reference condition. We discuss potential mechanisms to explain the role of carbon exposure on the probability of CNT nucleation from nanoparticle catalysts, supported by microscopy and gas analysis.
- Authors:
-
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Swansea Univ. (United Kingdom)
- Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Air Force Research Lab. (AFRL), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (United States)
- Air Force Research Lab. (AFRL), Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1581239
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-212500-2020-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 0008-6223; TRN: US2100869
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012704; SC0010795; AC02-06CH11357
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Carbon
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 153; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0008-6223
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Citation Formats
Dee, Nicholas T., Li, Jinjing, Orbaek White, Alvin, Jacob, Christine, Shi, Wenbo, Kidambi, Piran R., Cui, Kehang, Zakharov, Dmitri N., Janković, Nina Z., Bedewy, Mostafa, Chazot, Cécile A. C., Carpena-Núñez, Jennifer, Maruyama, Benji, Stach, Eric A., Plata, Desiree L., and Hart, A. John. Carbon-assisted catalyst pretreatment enables straightforward synthesis of high-density carbon nanotube forests. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2019.06.083.
Dee, Nicholas T., Li, Jinjing, Orbaek White, Alvin, Jacob, Christine, Shi, Wenbo, Kidambi, Piran R., Cui, Kehang, Zakharov, Dmitri N., Janković, Nina Z., Bedewy, Mostafa, Chazot, Cécile A. C., Carpena-Núñez, Jennifer, Maruyama, Benji, Stach, Eric A., Plata, Desiree L., & Hart, A. John. Carbon-assisted catalyst pretreatment enables straightforward synthesis of high-density carbon nanotube forests. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2019.06.083
Dee, Nicholas T., Li, Jinjing, Orbaek White, Alvin, Jacob, Christine, Shi, Wenbo, Kidambi, Piran R., Cui, Kehang, Zakharov, Dmitri N., Janković, Nina Z., Bedewy, Mostafa, Chazot, Cécile A. C., Carpena-Núñez, Jennifer, Maruyama, Benji, Stach, Eric A., Plata, Desiree L., and Hart, A. John. 2019.
"Carbon-assisted catalyst pretreatment enables straightforward synthesis of high-density carbon nanotube forests". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2019.06.083. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1581239.
@article{osti_1581239,
title = {Carbon-assisted catalyst pretreatment enables straightforward synthesis of high-density carbon nanotube forests},
author = {Dee, Nicholas T. and Li, Jinjing and Orbaek White, Alvin and Jacob, Christine and Shi, Wenbo and Kidambi, Piran R. and Cui, Kehang and Zakharov, Dmitri N. and Janković, Nina Z. and Bedewy, Mostafa and Chazot, Cécile A. C. and Carpena-Núñez, Jennifer and Maruyama, Benji and Stach, Eric A. and Plata, Desiree L. and Hart, A. John},
abstractNote = {In spite of extensive academic and commercial development, a comprehensive understanding of the principles necessary for high-yield production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is lacking, whether in oriented films, bulk powders, or other forms. In chemical vapor deposition growth of CNT films on substrates, trace contaminants of carbon, such as deposits on the reactor tube walls, are known to cause inconsistency in key production metrics, including CNT density and alignment. Here, we show that trace exposure of the catalyst to carbon during initial heating of the catalyst film is a critical determinant of CNT yield, and this carbon exposure accelerates catalyst nanoparticle formation via film dewetting and increases the probability of CNT nucleation and the resultant density of the CNT population. Through controlled exposure of the catalyst to a trace amount of carbon, we show up to a 4-fold increase in bulk mass density for a given forest height, an 8-fold increase in local CNT number density, and a 2-fold increase in the growth lifetime, relative to a reference condition. We discuss potential mechanisms to explain the role of carbon exposure on the probability of CNT nucleation from nanoparticle catalysts, supported by microscopy and gas analysis.},
doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2019.06.083},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1581239},
journal = {Carbon},
issn = {0008-6223},
number = C,
volume = 153,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jun 26 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Wed Jun 26 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
Web of Science
Figures / Tables:
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