Morphology control of three-dimensional carbon nanotube macrostructures fabricated using ice-templating method

Abstract

3-Dimensional (3D) carbon nanotube (CNT) macrostructures with controlled morphologies were prepared by the ice-templating method. In order to control the assembling of the CNTs into 3D macrostructures, we systematically investigated the parameters critical to the control of the morphology of the 3D CNT macrostructures formed using the ice-templating method. It was found that process parameters such as the initial characteristics of the CNT suspension and its freezing conditions significantly affected the morphologies of the resulting CNT macrostructures. By adjusting the initial characteristics of the suspension of CNTs and its freezing conditions, we could fabricate not only regular 3D CNT macrostructures that consisted of aligned lamellae but also those that had a cellular structure. This is the first instance well-aligned, cellular CNT macrostructures have been prepared using the ice-templating method. Our approach can be used to develop the ice-templating method as a technique for fabricating 3D pore- and structure-controlled CNT macrostructures.