Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by arc-discharge and chemical vapor deposition method with analysis of its morphology, dispersion and functionalization characteristics

Varshali Sharma,Ritu Sharma,Eileen Harkin-Jones,Anup Kumar Sharma

doi:10.1080/23311916.2015.1094017

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, multi-walled carbon nanotubes are synthesized by arc-discharge and chemical vapor decomposition methods. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes are synthesized on thin film of nickel sputtered on silicon substrate by thermal chemical vapor deposition of acetylene at a temperature of 750°C. The flow of current in arc-discharge method varies in the range 50–200 A. Further arc-synthesized carbon nanotubes are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the results are compared with nanotubes grown by chemical vapor deposition method. XRD result shows a characteristic peak (0 0 2) at 26.54° corresponding to the presence of carbon nanotubes. SEM and TEM results give morphology of as-synthesized multi-walled nanotubes. TEM results indicate synthesis of well-graphitized carbon nanotubes by arc-discharge method. Dispersion of arc-synthesized nanotubes in SDS solution under the effect of different sonication times is studie...

Highlights

Due to unique properties, carbon nanotubes attracted a lot of interest with their nanoscale cylindrical structure after being discovered by Iijima in 1991 (Iijima, 1991; Planeix et al, 1994; Saito, Fujita, Dresselhaus, & Dresselhaus, 1992)
The synthesized nanotubes are cheap and after oxidation are ready to use in different electronic applications which definitely reduce the cost of electronic devices
Carbon nanotubes are synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition method, in which a carbon containing gas is decomposed at high temperature in the presence of a metal catalyst (Cassell, Raymakers, Kong, & Dai, 1999; Harutyunyan, 2009; Kumar & Ando, 2010; Magrez, Seo, Smajda, Mionić, & Forró, 2010; Tian, Li, Zhao, & He, 2009)

Summary

Introduction

Carbon nanotubes attracted a lot of interest with their nanoscale cylindrical structure after being discovered by Iijima in 1991 (Iijima, 1991; Planeix et al, 1994; Saito, Fujita, Dresselhaus, & Dresselhaus, 1992). Arc-discharge method is the cost-efficient technique for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and the time required for CNT synthesis is less as compared to other methods. Ishigami, Cumings, Zettl, and Chen (2000) reported a low-cost simplified-arc method for the continuous production of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in liquid nitrogen.

Results

Conclusion