CNT Network Research Articles

High-efficiency dual protection of photoelectrochemical cathodic protection coating with In2O3/C3N4/CNT nanocomposites for 304 stainless steel in marine environment

A photoelectrochemical cathodic protection coating with EP/In2O3/C3N4/CNT composite was designed and its anti-corrosion mechanism was further investigated. It was found that the introduction of In2O3/C3N4 not only densified the microporous structure but also enhanced the hydrophobicity, tensile strength and UV aging resistance of epoxy resin (EP) coatings, improving the physical shielding effects of the coating. In addition, the photogenerated electrons produced by In2O3/C3N4 nanocomposites could transfer to surface of 304 SS through the electronic transmission network of CNT under illumination. Owing to its dual protection, the corrosion current (Icorr) of 304 SS/EP/In2O3/C3N4/CNT reduced by 95.8 % and 67.8 % of that of 304SS and 304 SS/EP in dark, respectively. Under illumination, the OCP values of EP/In2O3/C3N4 and EP/In2O3/C3N4/CNT composite coatings were rapidly shifted negatively to −170 mV and −274 mV, respectively, which were both lower than the self-corrosion potential of 304 SS. Therefore, the introduction of optoelectronic nanoparticles into coatings is believed to be an effective strategy for providing dual protection for metals, which not only improved the physical shielding effects of the coating but also enhanced the photocathodic protection performance at the dark state.

Facile Preparation of Three-Dimensional Cubic MnSe2/CNTs and Their Application in Aqueous Copper Ion Batteries.

Transition metal sulfide compounds with high theoretical specific capacity and excellent electronic conductivity that can be used as cathode materials for secondary batteries attract great research interest in the field of electrochemical energy storage. Among these materials, MnSe2 garners significant interest from researchers due to its unique three-dimensional cubic structure and inherent stability. However, according to the relevant literature, the performance and cycle life of MnSe2 are not yet satisfactory. To address this issue, we synthesize MnSe2/CNTs composites via a straightforward hydrothermal method. MnSO4·H2O, Se, and N2H4·H2O are used as reactants, and CNTs are incorporated during the stirring process. The experimental outcomes indicate that the fabricated electrode demonstrates an initial discharge specific capacity that reaches 621 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1. Moreover, it exhibits excellent rate capability, delivering a discharge specific capacity of 476 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1. The electrode is able to maintain a high discharge specific capacity of 545 mAh g-1 after cycling for 1000 times at a current density of 2 A g-1. The exceptional electrochemical performance of the MnSe2/CNTs composites can be ascribed to their three-dimensional cubic architecture and the 3D CNT network. This research aids in the progression of aqueous Cu-ion cathode materials with significant potential, offering a viable route for their advancement.

Enhanced multifunctionality in carbon fiber/carbon nanotube reinforced PEEK hybrid composites: Superior combination of mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and EMI shielding

This study presents a novel approach to manufacturing carbon fiber and carbon nanotube-reinforced PEEK hybrid composites (CF/CNT/PEEK) using compression molding. The hybrid composite characteristics were compared with those of a control composite (CF/PEEK). Various tests were conducted on both composite types to investigate the impact of incorporating a carbon nanotube sock layer (an ultra-thin layer of a low-density CNT network), including three-point bend, electrical conductivity, and EMI shielding. The research also underscored the importance of EMI shielding simulation. An important aspect of the study involved performing multiscale simulations on control and hybrid composites, employing a digital twin methodology, and validating the results with experimental findings. For the hybrid composite, double multiscale simulations were performed by integrating two local-scale models, a CF/PEEK unit cell (micro-scale) and a CNT/PEEK representative volume element (RVE) (nano-scale), into a global-scale model. A detailed post-processing analysis of the simulation results was conducted to analyze stress distribution on local and global scale models. It was noted that there was an over 8 % increase in the flexural strength of the hybrid composite, along with a reduction of over 27 % in the standard deviation of the results. The introduction of CNTs enhanced the electrical conductivity by more than 36 %. It conferred remarkable EMI shielding effectiveness exceeding 50 dB across the entire X-band frequency range, attributed to enhanced reflection and absorption. EMI shielding simulations suggest that refining the manufacturing process of the hybrid composite could enhance its shielding properties. The developed multiscale simulation has been demonstrated as an efficient prediction tool, as the simulation outcomes closely align with experimental findings. The resultant hybrid composite is promising for potential multifunctional applications.

Structural Coloration and Up/Down‐Conversion Photoluminescence of Carbon Nanotube Fibers for Ultraviolet Detection

AbstractCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) are in great demand in many fields because of their unique properties such as high conductivity, chemical stability, lightweight, and high strength. They also received much attention in optical‐related fields because of the super‐black characteristics under visible light and the photothermal effect of infrared light. Recently, the coloration of CNTs under visible light is realized by a simple liquid phase method with the help of silica photonic crystal (PC) coatings. However, the response modulation such as the photoluminescence (PL) property of CNTs to the infrared and ultraviolet (UV) bands is not yet studied. Herein, silane functionalized carbon dots (SiCDs) are introduced into silica PCs, and successfully realized the structural coloration and PL of CNT fibers (CNTFs). The optical and fluorescence visualization of single CNTs and suspended CNT networks (SCNTNs) is also realized with the assistance of SiCDs droplets. These SiCDs‐decorated SiPCs‐coated CNTFs (SiCDs@SiPCs‐CNTFs) exhibit an up/down‐conversion PL response, and the excitation light source can be UV light, visible light, and near‐infrared laser. The structural coloration and the development of new PL properties will promote the wide applications of PL carbon hybrid materials in many fields such as smart displays, intelligent textiles, anti‐counterfeiting, etc.

The percolation inception of the CNT-polymer nanocomposites with the magneto-electric field effects on the CNT subbands

The percolation inception of CNT-polymer nanocomposites is studied considering the magneto-electric field effects on CNT subbands. The analytical model predicts the electrical conductivity where CNTs are modeled as slender rods with their geometric orientations as randomly distributed or aligned to transfer electrons at tunneling distance range. The tunneling effect takes into account the electron transmission between every linked pair of CNTs when evaluating electrical resistance. The subsequent CNT displacement computation and the resistance change comprise the other phase of the modeling approach. Piezoresistivity results of the analyses agree well with the experimental data when considering tunneling behavior in the percolation transition zone. The magnetic field enhances the field affected subbands and increases the electrical conductivity by enhancing the mobility of the charges. The results reveal that the efficiency of CNT network in transmitting charges is increased with higher aspect ratio CNTs that scaled the sensitivity to lower values.

In situ Preparation of SiOx/Carbon Nanotube Composite Films with Excellent Mechanical and Electrochemical Properties as an Anode Material for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Silicon monoxide (SiOx) has become one of the most promising anode materials for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity. However, the inherent low electrical conductivity and large volume change during lithiation/delithiation processes hinder its practical applications. Here, a novel and facile strategy is designed to prepare SiOx/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite films in one step by using a method involving floating catalytic chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD). That is, SiOx particles and CNTs form at high temperature and winded directly on a drum to give rise to a film in an open air environment. The composite film is made up of a 3D CNT network with SiOx particles uniformly embedded. The as‐prepared composite film not only has a tensile strength of 78 MPa and elongation at break of 52%, but also exhibits a high specific capacity of 966.4 mA h g−1 after 120 cycles at the current density of 0.1 A g−1 and a good rate capacity of 448.7 mA h g−1 at the current density of 2 A g−1 when used as an anode material for LIBs. The results from the in‐situ preparation and resultant composite suggest a new route for developing high‐performance anode materials for LIBs.

Engineering Nano-Sized Silicon Anodes with Conductive Networks toward a High Average Coulombic Efficiency of 90.2% via Plasma-Assisted Milling.

Si-based anode is considered one of the ideal anodes for high energy density lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity of 4200 mAh g-1. To accelerate the commercial progress of Si material, the multi-issue of extreme volume expansion and low intrinsic electronic conductivity needs to be settled. Herein, a series of nano-sized Si particles with conductive networks are synthesized via the dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) assisted milling. The p-milling method can effectively refine the particle sizes of pristine Si without destroying its crystal structure, resulting in large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) values with more active sites for Li+ ions. Due to their unique structure and flexibility, CNTs can be uniformly distributed among the Si particles and the prepared Si electrodes exhibit better structural stability during the continuous lithiation/de-lithiation process. Moreover, the CNT network accelerates the transport of ions and electrons in the Si particles. As a result, the nano-sized Si anodes with CNTs conductive network can deliver an extremely high average initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) reach of 90.2% with enhanced cyclic property and rate capability. The C-PMSi-50:1 anode presents 615 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles and 979 mAh g-1 under the current density of 5 A g-1. Moreover, the manufactured Si||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 pouch cell maintains a high ICE of >85%. This work may supply a new insight for designing the nano-sized Si and further promoting its commercial applications.

Carbon-Based Porous Bimetallic Phosphide in CNT Network as a Separator for Li–S Batteries

Carbon-Based Porous Bimetallic Phosphide in CNT Network as a Separator for Li–S Batteries

A highly conductive and robust micrometre-sized SiO anode enabled by an in situ grown CNT network with a safe petroleum ether carbon source.

SiO-based materials as lithium-ion anodes have attracted huge attention owing to their ultrahigh capacity. However, they usually undergo severe volume expansion over the repeated lithiation/delithiation processes and have low electronic conductivity, leading to an inferior cycling stability and poor rate capability. In this study, carbon nanotubes in situ grown on the surface of commercially available micro-sized SiO (D50 = 5 μm) were prepared. The conductive network composed of one-dimensional carbon nanotubes could enhance its conductivity and enhance the structural stability during the cycling. The synthesized 3D-SiO@C material demonstrates good long-term cycling stability, with a reversible capacity of up to 687.7 mA h g-1 after 1000 cycles, and it maintains a high reversible capacity of 736.8 mA h g-1, even at a high current density of 1 A g-1.

"Sweat-Driven" MXene Composites with Energy-Storage and Thermal-Management Multifunctions: A Platform for Versatile Electronic Skins.

Most exogenous electronic skins (e-skins) currently face challenges of complex structure and poor compatibility with the human body. Utilizing human secretions (e.g., sweat) to develop e-skins is an effective solution strategy. Here, a new kind of "sweat-driven" e-skin is proposed, which realizes energy-storage and thermal-management multifunctions. Through the layer-by-layer assembly of MXene-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite with paper, lightweight and versatile e-skins based on supercapacitors and actuators are fabricated. Long CNTs wrap and entangle MXene nanosheets, enhancing their long-distance conductivity. Furthermore, the CNT network overcomes the structural collapse of MXene in sweat, improving the energy-storage performance of e-skin. The "sweat-driven" all-in-one supercapacitor with a trilayer structure is patternable, which absorbs sweat as electrolyte and harnesses the ions therein to store energy, exhibiting an areal capacitance of 282.3 mF cm-2 and a high power density (2117.8 µW cm-2). The "sweat-driven" actuator with a bilayer structure can be driven by moisture (bending curvature of 0.9 cm-1) and sweat for personal thermal management. Therefore, the paper serves as a separator, actuating layer, patternable layer, sweat extractor, and reservoir. The "sweat-driven" MXene-CNT composite provides a platform for versatile e-skins, which achieve the interaction with humans and offer insights into the development of multifunctional wearable electronics.

Superflexible porous PCSnf-Fe3O4/CNT-PANI BP/PCSnf-Fe3O4 sandwich composite films with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance based on integral assembly by electrospinning

Polycarbosilane nanofiber-ferroferric oxide (PCSnf-Fe3O4) films were assembled on both sides of carbon nanotube-polyaniline buckypaper (CNT-PANI BP) by electrospinning to obtain PCSnf-Fe3O4/CNT-PANI BP/PCSnf-Fe3O4 sandwich porous composites, with a diameter of 110–120 mm and a thickness of 150–200 µm. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles adhered on the PCS nanofibers formed a bamboo-like or plum-like structure. The PANI nanoparticles were uniformly embedded in the CNT network. Both PCSnf-Fe3O4 film skin layers were well bonded to the CNT-PANI BP core layer, with two main forms of the interlayer interface of rattan-like and root-like entanglement. The sandwich composite film (SCF) with 15.1 wt% Fe3O4 in the skin layers had a density of 0.97 g/cm3, a porosity of 61% and a total pore area of 30.1 m2/g, with a multimodal pore size distribution. The SCFs were superflexible, being tightly wound around a 4 mm diameter glass rod and repeated 100 times without damage. The absorption performance of the SCF was significantly improved by introducing Fe3O4 nanoparticles into its skin layers. The SCF with 11.8 wt% Fe3O4 in its skin layers achieved optimal dielectric and magnetic loss matching, with minimum reflection loss of − 43.54 dB and maximum effective absorption bandwidth of 6.97 GHz.

Mechanical and electrochemical properties of carbon nanotubule-polyaniline nanowire/polyaniline nanoparticle high-strength ultra-flexible aerogel buckypaper

The carbon nanotube-polyaniline nanowire/polyaniline nanoparticle (CNT-PANInw/PANInp) aerogel buckypaper (BP) was constructed, where PANI nanoparticles were uniformly embedded into the CNT network, and a series of downhanging PANI nanowires were grown in situ on the CNT monofilaments. The aerogel BP with 80 µm thickness had a PANI load of 3.5 mg/cm2 and a porosity of 69%. The cross-junctions between CNT monofilaments were anchored by polyvinyl alcohol gel. It had a tensile strength of 25 MPa, with a strain of 11.4%, being folded along sharp creases or violently rubbed without damage. The specific capacitance of the aerogel BP electrode decreased from 3.070 to 2.064 F/cm2, as the current density increased from 2 to 8 mA/cm2, with a capacitance retention of 67.2%. Its specific capacitance was 1.720 and 1.560 F/cm2 after 2000 folding in halfunfolding and 200 zigzag foldingunfolding cycles, respectively, with the capacitance retention of 84.0% and 76.2%, at 8 mA/cm2. Its specific capacitance was 1.832 and 1.224 F/cm2 after 2000 and 10,000 charge-discharge cycles, respectively, with the capacitance retention of 88.8% and 59.3%, at 8 mA/cm2. Its residual specific capacitance after 10,000 cycles was higher than most of the reported initial value of the materials with similar compositions.

Microstructural Welding Engineering of Carbon Nanotube/Polydimethylsiloxane Nanocomposites with Improved Interfacial Thermal Transport

AbstractCarbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced polymer nanocomposites with high thermal conductivity show a promising prospect in thermal management of next‐generation electronic devices due to their excellent mechanical adaptability, outstanding processability, and superior flexibility. However, interfacial thermal resistance between individual CNT significantly hinders the further improvement in thermal conductivity of CNT‐reinforced nanocomposites. Herein, an interfacial welding strategy is reported to construct graphitic structure welded CNT (GS‐w‐CNT) networks. Notably, the obtained GS‐w‐CNT/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite with a GS loading of 4.75 wt% preserves a high thermal conductivity of 5.58 W m−1 K−1 with a 410% enhancement as compared to a pure CNT/PDMS nanocomposite. Molecular dynamics simulations are utilized to elucidate the effect of interfacial welding on the heat transfer behavior, revealing that the GS welding degree plays an important role in reducing both phonon scattering in the GS‐w‐CNT structure and interfacial thermal resistance at the interfaces between CNT. The unique welding strategy provides a new route to optimize the thermal transport performance in filler reinforced polymer nanocomposites, promoting their applications in next‐generation microelectronic devices.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Carbon-Nanotube-Interconnected Amorphous NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxides for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key half-reaction in electrocatalytic water splitting. Large-scale water electrolysis is hampered by commercial noble-metal-based OER electrocatalysts owing to their high cost. To address these issues, we present a facile, one-pot, room-temperature co-precipitation approach to quickly synthesize carbon-nanotube-interconnected amorphous NiFe-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH@CNT) as cost-effective, efficient, and stable OER electrocatalysts. The hybrid catalyst NiFe-LDH@CNT delivered outstanding OER activity with a low onset overpotential of 255 mV and a small Tafel slope of 51.36 mV dec-1, as well as outstanding long-term stability. The high catalytic capability of NiFe-LDH@CNT is associated with the synergistic effects of its room-temperature synthesized amorphous structure, bi-metallic modulation, and conductive CNT skeleton. The room-temperature synthesis can not only offer economic feasibility, but can also allow amorphous NiFe-LDH to be obtained without crystalline boundaries, facilitating long-term stability during the OER process. The bi-metallic nature of NiFe-LDH guarantees a modified electronic structure, providing additional catalytic sites. Simultaneously, the highly conductive CNT network fosters a nanoporous structure, facilitating electron transfer and O2 release and enriching catalytic sites. This study introduces an innovative approach to purposefully design nanoarchitecture and easily synthesize amorphous transition-metal-based OER catalysts, ensuring their cost effectiveness, production efficiency, and long-term stability.

Highly Efficient (>13%) and Robust Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells Using an Ultrasimple All-Carbon-Electrode Configuration.

Fragile and expensive transparent conductive oxide anodes and noble metal cathodes in typical perovskite photovoltaic devices pose unavoidable issues, i.e., poor flexibility and high material cost, making it inaccessible to commercial application. Here, we report an ultrasimple indium tin oxide (ITO)-free and HTL-free all-carbon-electrode flexible perovskite solar cell (AC-F-PSC) with an architecture of PEN/carbon/SnO2/perovskite/carbon which contains an anode made of a carbon-based integrator (CNT-GR) comprising carbon nanotubes and low-dose graphene, and a cathode made of the commonly used conductive carbon. The CNT-GR anode exhibits low sheet resistance, high light transmittance, and superior flexibility beyond ITO. Density functional theory calculations reveal that O atoms from GR anchored onto the interwoven CNT network have strong covalent binding capacity with bond-deficient Sn ions, inhibiting the formation of oxygen vacancies in SnO2. Such a binding effect induces a significant reduction of the conduction band minimum of SnO2, yielding favorable energy level alignment for carrier transport at the SnO2/perovskite interface. Also, a heat-pressing approach as a tiny trick is used to fill the gaps at the perovskite/carbon cathode interface. The resulting AC-F-PSC device attains an efficiency of 13.14%, which is a record value among reported carbon-electrode F-PSCs, with superior mechanical flexibility, i.e., ∼71% of initial efficiency after bending 4000 cycles at 4 mm bending radius. This PSC based on an ultrasimple all-carbon-electrode offers a promising route for robust and cost-effective flexible photovoltaic devices.

Wafer-scale striped network transistors based on purified semiconducting carbon nanotubes for commercialization

Highly purified and solution-processed semiconducting carbon nanotubes (s-CNTs) have developed rapidly over the past several decades and are near-commercially available materials that can replace silicon due to its large-area substrate deposition and room-temperature processing compatibility. However, the more s-CNTs are purified, the better their electrical performance, but considerable effort and long centrifugation time are required, which can limit commercialization due to high manufacturing costs. In this work, we therefore fabricated ‘striped’ CNT network transistor across industry-standard 8 inch wafers. The stripe-structured channel is effective in lowering the manufacturing cost because it can maintain good device performance without requiring high-purity s-CNTs. We evaluated the electrical performances and their uniformity by demonstrating striped CNT network transistors fabricating from various s-CNT solutions (e.g. 99%, 95%, and 90%) in 8 inch wafers. From our results, we concluded that by optimizing the CNT network configurations, CNTs can be sufficiently utilized for commercialization technology even at low semiconducting purity. Our approach can serve as a critical foundation for future low-cost commercial CNT electronics.

Lightweight cementite/Fe anchored in nitrogen-doped carbon with tunable dielectric/magnetic loss and low filler loading achieving high-efficiency microwave absorption

Magnetoelectric composites have promising application in electromagnetic wave absorption for their regulatory structures and interfacial interactions. In this research, a facile one-step pyrolyzing procedure was applied to achieve cementite/Fe nanoparticles anchored on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Fe3C/Fe/N-CNTs) composites. Fe3C/Fe encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon was generated through in-situ Fe-catalyzed carbothermal reactions.The obtained magnetoelectric composites displayed excellent microwave absorption properties with a minimum reflection loss of −54.4 dB at 10.4 GHz, a matching thickness of 2.3 mm, and low filler loading (15%). Moreover, even at a low matching thickness of 1.55 mm, the reflection loss was less than −10 dB in the range of 13.7–18.0 GHz, and an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.3 GHz was achieved. The outstanding microwave absorption performance can be summarized as follows. 1) The CNT network enriches the transmission path, enhancing the dielectric loss capability. 2) The hollow one-diameter CNT structure helps strengthen interfacial polarization, optimizing the impedance matching while promoting multiple reflections and scattering. 3) Magnetic Fe3C/Fe provides a strong magnetic dissipation ability and eddy current losses. 4) The heterogeneous magnetoelectric Fe3C/Fe/N-CNTs possess multiple interfaces, increasing the interfacial polarization and electromagnetic synergistic losses. This study provides a potential strategy for the large-scale synthesis of low filler loading magnetic–dielectric microwave absorbers.

Wrapping 2D layered VSe2 nanoplates in 3D carbon nanotube network for high-rate and long-cycling sodium storage capability in ether electrolytes

The layered transition metal diselenides are promising anode materials for sodium ion batteries, attributed to their large interlayer spacing and decent capacities. It is still a challenge to achieve long-term cycling and high-rate capability because of the serious volume effects and unsatisfied conductivity. In this work, the hierarchical architectures consisting of VSe2 nanoplates wrapped into the carbon nanotubes network (VSe2/CNT) are prepared through a simple hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the high conductivity and the structure protection of CNT network and the abundant Se vacancy in VSe2, the reaction kinetics and structure stability of the VSe2/CNT anode are significantly enhanced for sodium storage. Consequently, a discharge capacity of 170 mAh g−1 can be maintained over 10000 cycles at 2.0 A g−1 with a low capacity decay rate of 0.0048% per cycle, and a high capacity of 167 mAh g−1 is achieved at 100 A g−1 for the rate performance. Moreover, combinational modulations of electrolyte and electrode can take a synergetic influence on the electrochemical behaviors. The ether-based electrolyte has a lower stable overpotential, which promotes fast sodium storage. The CNT network passivation can suppress the “under-voltage failure” phenomenon, thereby providing superior cycling stability.

Hierarchical construction of CNT networks in aramid papers for high-efficiency microwave absorption

Hierarchical construction of CNT networks in aramid papers for high-efficiency microwave absorption

Negative Temperature Coefficient of Resistance in Aligned CNT Networks: Influence of the Underlying Phenomena.

Temperature dependence of electrical conductivity/resistivity of CNT networks (dry or impregnated), which is characterised by a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), is experimentally observed to be negative, especially for the case of aligned CNT (A-CNT). The paper investigates the role of three phenomena defining the TCR, temperature dependence of the intrinsic conductivity of CNTs, of the tunnelling resistance of their contacts, and thermal expansion of the network, in the temperature range 300-400 K. A-CNT films, created by rolling down A-CNT forests of different length and described in Lee et al., Appl Phys Lett, 2015, 106: 053110, are investigated as an example. The modelling of the electrical conductivity is performed by the nodal analysis of resistance networks, coupled with the finite-element thermomechanical modelling of network thermal expansion. The calculated TCR for the film is about -0.002 1/K and is close to the experimentally observed values. Comparative analysis of the influence of the TCR defining phenomena is performed on the case of dry and impregnated films. The analysis shows that in both cases, for an A-CNT film at the studied temperature interval, the main factor affecting a network's TCR is the TCR of the CNTs themselves. The TCR of the tunnelling contacts plays the secondary role; influence of the film thermal expansion is marginal. The prevailing impact of the intrinsic conductivity TCR on the TCR of the film is explained by long inter-contact segments of CNTs in an A-CNT network, which define the homogenised film conductivity.