Thermal and electrical conduction properties of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes produced by water-assisted chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

We present both thermal and electrical conduction properties of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs), synthesized by the water-assisted chemical vapor deposition method using Fe–Ti–O nanoparticles as catalyst. Thermal diffusivity and electrical resistance of VACNTs have been measured by the laser flash method and direct-current four-terminal method, respectively. The VACNTs are found to have thermal diffusivities of the same order as isotropic graphite and the electrical characteristics of semiconductors. The electrical resistance shows a T −1/4 temperature dependence, which implies that the conduction of electrons is dominated by 3D Mott variable range hopping.