Abstract
The objective of this study is to evaluate the structural, thermal, and electrical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) hybridized with silver nanoparticles (AgNP) obtained via chemical reduction of aqueous silver salt assisted with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as stabilizing agent. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals microstructural analysis of the MWNT-Ag hybrids. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra prove the interactions between the AgNP and carboxyl groups of the MWNT. Raman spectra reveal that the D- to G-band intensity ratiosID/IGandID′/IGincrease upon the deposition of AgNP onto the surface of the MWNT. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) shows that the MWNT-Ag hybrids decompose at a much faster rate and the weight loss decreased considerably due to the presence of AgNP. Nonlinearity of current-voltage (I-V) curves indicates that electrical transport of pristine MWNT is enhanced when AgNP is induced as charge carriers in the MWNT-Ag hybrids. The threshold voltageVthvalue for the MWNT doped with a maximum of 70 vol% of AgNP was substantially reduced by 65% relative to the pristine MWNT. The MWNT-Ag hybrids have a favourable electrical characteristic with a low threshold voltage that shows enhancement mode for field-effect transistor (FET) applications.
Highlights
Studies on carbon nanotubes (CNT) have grown rapidly since their discovery by Iijima in 1991 [1]
This is accompanied with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) spectrum that shows an intense signal of C coupled with Ag signals which confirm the presence of Ag onto the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) surface
The MWNT-Ag hybrids are synthesized by reducing aqueous silver salt in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as stabilizing agent to enhance the deposition of AgNP onto MWNT surface
Summary
Studies on carbon nanotubes (CNT) have grown rapidly since their discovery by Iijima in 1991 [1]. CNT are composed of graphene layers which are rolled up cylindrically and the diameter of these nanomaterials is within the nanometre scale. CNT consist entirely of sp carbon-carbon bonds and they possess unique structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties [2,3,4]. Metal nanoparticles (NP) are an emerging class of compounds with unique properties and they are remarkably different compared to their bulk materials. Detailed studies have been carried out in recent years to integrate the properties of CNT and NP due to their potential applications. This integration has created a new class of hybrid materials that exhibit mixing characteristics at the microscopic level with unique properties that are comparable to the nanocomposites. CNT possess high aspect ratios because of their smaller diameters and longer lengths, and this makes it possible to functionalize CNT as templates for NP assemblies as well as enhance their properties [2]
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