Iodine-doped Carbon Nanotubes Research Articles

Iodine-doped carbon nanotubes boosting the adsorption effect and conversion kinetics of lithium-sulfur batteries

Compared with lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), based on electrochemical reactions involving multi-step 16-electron transformations provide higher specific capacity (1672 mAh g−1) and specific energy (2600 Wh kg−1), exhibiting great potential in the field of energy storage. However, the inherent insulation of sulfur, slow electrochemical reaction kinetics and detrimental shuttle-effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) restrict the development of LSBs in practical applications. Herein, the iodine-doped carbon nanotubes (I-CNTs) is firstly reported as sulfur host material to the enhance the adsorption-conversion kinetics of LSBs. Iodine doping can significantly improve the polarity of I-CNTs. Iodine atoms with lone pair electrons (Lewis base) in iodine-doped CNTs can interact with lithium cations (Lewis acidic) in LiPSs, thereby anchoring polysulfides and suppressing subsequent shuttling behavior. Moreover, the charge transfer between iodine species (electron acceptor) and CNTs (electron donor) decreases the gap band and subsequently improves the conductivity of I-CNTs. The enhanced adsorption effect and conductivity are beneficial for accelerating reaction kinetics and enhancing electrocatalytic activity. The in-situ Raman spectroscopy, quasi in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Li2S potentiostatic deposition current–time (i-t) curves were conducted to verify mechanism of complex sulfur reduction reaction (SRR). Owing to above advantages, the I-CNTs@S composite cathode exhibits an ultrahigh initial capacity of 1326 mAh g−1 as well as outstanding cyclicability and rate performance. Our research results provide inspirations for the design of multifunctional host material for sulfur/carbon composite cathodes in LSBs.

Ab Initio Study of Iodine-Doped Carbon Nanotube Conductors

The widespread use of copper in power and data cabling for aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles imposes significant mass penalties and limits cable ampacity. Experimental research has suggested that iodine-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can serve as energy efficient replacements for copper in mass sensitive cabling applications. The high computational costs of ab initio modeling have limited complimentary modeling research on the development of high specific conductance materials. In recent research, the authors have applied two modeling assumptions, single zeta basis sets and approximate geometric models of the CNT junction structures, to allow an order of magnitude increase in the atom count used to model iodine-doped CNT conductors. This permits the ab initio study of dopant concentration and dopant distribution effects, and the development of a fully quantum based nanowire model which may be compared directly with the results of macroscale experiments. The accuracy of the modeling assumptions is supported by comparisons of ballistic conductance calculations with known quantum solutions and by comparison of the nanowire performance predictions with published experimental data. The validated formulation offers important insights on dopant distribution effects and conduction mechanisms not amenable to direct experimental measurement.

Electrical properties of air-stable, iodine-doped carbon-nanotube–polymer composites

We report the preparation and electrical characterization of air-stable, iodine-doped single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)–polymer composites, which show significant enhancement in electrical conductivity by a factor of 2–5 as compared to undoped SWNT-polymer composites. The analysis of temperature dependent conductivity data reveals that the conduction of iodine-doped SWNT composites can be well described by the thermal-fluctuation-induced tunneling model. The observed substantial conductivity enhancement in iodine-doped SWNT composites can be attributed to two factors: the higher conductivity of doped SWNTs and the smaller insulating polymer barriers between adjacent conductive SWNTs.

EXAFS investigations of iodine-doped carbon nanotubes

We report an x-ray absorption fine structure study at the iodine-K edge of the local structure in iodine-doped carbon nanotubes. The iodine-carbon host interaction is shown to be weaker in multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) than in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Iodine species are only localized at the surface of the external tube for MWNTs, whereas iodine species enter inside SWNTs. For doped SWNTs, both the experimental and the theoretical EXAFS spectra allow us to establish the structure of the iodine chain as disordered pentaiodide at the saturation level.

Structural selective charge transfer in iodine-doped carbon nanotubes

We have investigated iodine intercalated carbon nanostructures by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and Raman spectroscopies. We discuss here the charge transfer and the iodine–carbon interaction as a function of the carbon nanostructures (graphite, multi-walled, double-walled and single walled nanotubes). The results show that iodine is weakly adsorbed on the surface of all multi-walled nanotubes. By contrast, a charge transfer between iodine and single walled nanotubes is evidenced.

Study on Piezoresistive of Doped Carbon Nanotube Films

The piezoresistive effect in iodine-doped carbon nanotube films was investigated by a three-point bending test. Carbon nanotubes were synthesized by hot filament chemical vapor deposition. The experimental results showed that the gauge factor for I-doped and undoped carbon nanotube films under 500 microstrain was about 350 and 65 respectively at room temperature, exceeding that of polycrystalline silicon (30) at 35°C. The origin of the piezoresistivity in the films may be ascribed to a strain-induced change in the band gap for the doped tubes and the intertube contact resistance and defects for the undoped tubes.