Low-cost formation of bulk and localized polymer-derived carbon nanodomains from polydimethylsiloxane.

Juan Carlos Castro Alcántara,Lucia Cabriales,Luis Manuel León Rossano,Mariana Cerda Zorrilla,Mathieu Hautefeuille

doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.76

Abstract

We present two simple alternative methods to form polymer-derived carbon nanodomains in a controlled fashion and at low cost, using custom-made chemical vapour deposition and selective laser ablation with a commercial CD-DVD platform. Both processes presented shiny and dark residual materials after the polymer combustion and according to micro-Raman spectroscopy of the domains, graphitic nanocrystals and carbon nanotubes have successfully been produced by the combustion of polydimethylsiloxane layers. The fabrication processes and characterization of the byproduct materials are reported. We demonstrate that CVD led to bulk production of graphitic nanocrystals and single-walled carbon nanotubes while direct laser ablation may be employed for the formation of localized fluorescent nanodots. In the latter case, graphitic nanodomains and multi-wall carbon nanotubes are left inside microchannels and preliminary results seem to indicate that laser ablation could offer a tuning control of the nature and optical properties of the nanodomains that are left inside micropatterns with on-demand geometries. These low-cost methods look particularly promising for the formation of carbon nanoresidues with controlled properties and in applications where high integration is desired.

Highlights

Silicon-based polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) are of increasing interest thanks to the relatively controlled production and recent utilization of their unique functional properties
When a commercial chemical vapour deposition (CVD) reactor is lacking, the low-cost alternative constructed here using conventional laboratory materials showed to be capable of vapour deposition at atmospheric pressure
The reagents evaporation is based on a heating system and a glass recipient connected to the deposition chamber through a valve

Summary

Introduction

Silicon-based polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) are of increasing interest thanks to the relatively controlled production and recent utilization of their unique functional properties. A high power ultraviolet laser has been employed to directly induce the localized formation of nanocrystalline silicon residues in a low-cost polymer matrix with many interesting properties in optics and electronics micro-integration: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) [6]. We report the formation of bulk or localized carbon nanodomains obtained from PDMS, a silicon-based polymer by using two different methods enabled by low-cost custom-made platforms: chemical vapour deposition at 900 °C and selective laser ablation (SLA).

Results

Conclusion