Thermal induced order fluctuations in carbon nanosystem with carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The allotropes of carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanoparticles (CNPs) have emerged as a thrust area of research during the last decade because of their unique properties. CNTs are widely used in microelectronic, sensor, bio-imaging, supercapacitors, fuel cell, and etc. applications. In the present work, we report the thermal induced order fluctuations in the CNPs with CNTs synthesized from camphor. The samples annealed to different temperatures are characterized by various spectroscopic techniques such as UV–Visible, Raman, Fourier Transform Infrared, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Samples’ structure and morphology are analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and X-ray diffraction. The thermogravimetric analysis indicates not only the mass variation upon annealing but the thermal stability also. The spectroscopic and thermal analyses reveal the thermal induced oscillations in the carbon system which can be assigned to the dynamics in CNTs through desorption of hydrogen/ thinning or shortening of multi-walled CNTs/sp2 - sp3 conversions and the removal of amorphous carbon (AC). Since the amount of CNTs in the sample decides the electrical behavior, the sample can be tuned to a desired electrical conductivity by annealing and thus making it a tunable material for electronic applications.