Hierarchical self-entangled carbon nanotube tube networks

Fabian Schütt,Stanislav N Gorb,Helge Krüger,Sarah Röder,Sören Kaps,Nicola M Pugno,Yogendra Kumar Mishra,Stefano Signetti,Rainer Adelung,Daria Smazna

doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01324-7

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) assemblies based on carbon nanomaterials still lag behind their individual one-dimensional building blocks in terms of mechanical and electrical properties. Here we demonstrate a simple strategy for the fabrication of an open porous 3D self-organized double-hierarchical carbon nanotube tube structure with properties advantageous to those existing so far. Even though no additional crosslinking exists between the individual nanotubes, a high reinforcement effect in compression and tensile characteristics is achieved by the formation of self-entangled carbon nanotube (CNT) networks in all three dimensions, employing the CNTs in their high tensile properties. Additionally, the tubular structure causes a self-enhancing effect in conductivity when employed in a 3D stretchable conductor, together with a high conductivity at low CNT concentrations. This strategy allows for an easy combination of different kinds of low-dimensional nanomaterials in a tube-shaped 3D structure, enabling the fabrication of multifunctional inorganic-carbon-polymer hybrid 3D materials.

Highlights

Three-dimensional (3D) assemblies based on carbon nanomaterials still lag behind their individual one-dimensional building blocks in terms of mechanical and electrical properties
Representative scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the structural morphologies are shown in Fig. 1b–i, revealing the successful coverage of the ceramic 3D network with interwoven layers of self-entangled carbon nanotube (CNT)
The detailed SEM study suggests that almost the entire porous network is covered with a homogeneous felted CNT layer (Supplementary Fig. 2) with a thickness ranging from the nano to the submicron scale

Summary

Introduction

Three-dimensional (3D) assemblies based on carbon nanomaterials still lag behind their individual one-dimensional building blocks in terms of mechanical and electrical properties. For most of the applications, the open pore structures, with pores on the micrometer scale, are highly beneficial, since they allow for a large and especially highly accessible surface area (especially for nanostructured pore surfaces), which is not the case for closed pore structures Those template-based methods, which always rely on metal foams (mainly nickel), are based on the direct growth of CNTs by means of CVD and thereby creating CNTs and CNT/ graphene composites due to the overlapping growth conditions[26,27]

Methods

Results

Conclusion