Vibrational analysis of double-walled carbon nanotubes with inner and outer nanotubes of different lengths

In this study, the Euler-Bernoulli beam model is used to analyze the resonant vibration of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with inner and outer nanotubes of different lengths. The resonant properties of DWCNTs with different inner and outer nanotube lengths are investigated in detail using this theoretical approach. The resonant vibration is significantly affected by the vibrational modes of the DWCNTs, and by the lengths of the inner and outer nanotubes. For an inner or outer nanotube of constant length, the vibrational frequencies of the DWCNTs increase initially and then decrease as the length of another nanotube increases. A design for nanoelectromechanical devices that operate at various frequencies can be realized by controlling the length of the inner and outer nanotubes of DWCNTs. This investigation may be helpful in applications of carbon nanotubes such as high frequency oscillators, dynamic mechanical analysis and mechanical sensors.     

Nanoelectronic Devices Based on Carbon Nanotubes

We review the state-of-the-art in the carbon nanotube (CNT) electronics. The emphasis is made on actually created devices. The history of discovery of fullerenes is outlined and their properties are considered. Experimental discovery of nanotubes and nanotube synthesis technologies are reviewed. The CNT conductivity dependence on the geometrical structure of nanotubes is discussed. Various nanoelectronic CNT devices, such as nanowires, heterojunctions, diodes, and field-effect transistors are presented. Quantum properties of CNTs at low temperatures are discussed. CNT-based mechanical devices, memory elements, and switches are considered. Field emission properties of CNTs are analyzed. The data on the developed CNT-based light-emitting elements and the manufactured pre-production models of CNT flat-panel displays are given.     

Soft limiting circuit implementable with a single multi-walled carbon nanotube

Dispersed growth techniques are applied to grow carbon nanotubes between metal pads on silicon wafers. Process conditions are tuned to yield nanotube devices having only one multi-walled carbon nanotube connecting the metal pads. The nonlinear transfer characteristics of these devices are often accompanied with high impedance and low conduction current. These attributes can be utilized for a soft limiting circuit with impedance much higher than conventional silicon-based implementations.     

基于中性水凝胶/取向碳纳米管阵列高电压柔性固态超级电容器

随着科技发展和时代进步,发展质轻便携、安全环保的高性能储能器件变得日趋重要,对柔性固态超级电容器的研究也应运而生.柔性电极材料及电解质的选用是设计柔性固态超级电容器的关键因素,近年来一直是研究的热点.考虑到环境污染及实际需求问题,本文采用中性凝胶电解质对具有高比表面积、良好导电性及取向性的碳纳米管阵列进行包埋处理,所形成的柔性复合薄膜作为电极材料,设计制备三明治结构的柔性超级电容器件.通过改变凝胶电解质中所加入的无机盐电解质种类,调控器件的电化学储能性质.最终在聚乙烯醇PVA-NaCl作为凝胶电解质时,整个器件比容量最高达104.5 mF·cm~(–3),远高于有机离子凝胶与碳管阵列形成的复合器件以及无规分布的碳纳米管与水凝胶形成的复合器件,同时获得了0.034 mW·h·cm~(–3)的最大能量密度,并且具有良好的倍率性能、循环稳定性及抑制自放电的效果,并在高电压1.6 V下依然保持良好的化学稳定性.这种中性凝胶/碳管阵列复合超级电容器件不仅满足了绿色安全、柔性便携的要求,未来在医学可植入器件等领域也具有很好的应用前景.     

Review of two microwave applications of carbon nanotubes: nano-antennas and nano-switches

This paper provides an overview of two potential applications of carbon nanotube devices in microwave technology. Firstly, the main structural, mechanical, thermal and electronic properties of carbon nanotubes are briefly reviewed. Then, the possibilities offered by metallic carbon nanotubes as nano-antennas in the E- and W-bands and further are investigated: comparison with macroscopic wire antennas is made, the major advantages brought by nanotubes but also technical issues to be addressed are discussed. Finally, the integration of carbon nanotubes in nano-electro-mechanical-systems (NEMS) is studied through nano-switches: the contribution of carbon nanotubes is detailed, state-of-the-art is described, as well as our future approaches for such nano-devices. To cite this article: S. Demoustier et al., C. R. Physique 9 (2008).     

Nanoelectromechanical devices with carbon nanotubes

Thanks to their excellent mechanical properties as well as interesting electrical characteristics, carbon nanotubes are among the most widely used materials for the study of electromechanical properties. This review paper presents the physical properties and the potential applications of carbon nanotube based nanoelectromechanical devices. We present an overview of fabrication methods followed by a discussion of the physical properties of CNT-NEMS. Finally some potential applications are discussed.     

Carbon nanotube chemistry and assembly for electronic devices

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have exceptional physical properties that make them one of the most promising building blocks for future nanotechnologies. They may in particular play an important role in the development of innovative electronic devices in the fields of flexible electronics, ultra-high sensitivity sensors, high frequency electronics, opto-electronics, energy sources and nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS). Proofs of concept of several high performance devices already exist, usually at the single device level, but there remain many serious scientific issues to be solved before the viability of such routes can be evaluated. In particular, the main concern regards the controlled synthesis and positioning of nanotubes. In our opinion, truly innovative use of these nano-objects will come from: (i) the combination of some of their complementary physical properties, such as combining their electrical and mechanical properties; (ii) the combination of their properties with additional benefits coming from other molecules grafted on the nanotubes (this route being particularly relevant for gas- and bio-sensors, opto-electronic devices and energy sources); and (iii) the use of chemically- or bio-directed self-assembly processes to allow the efficient combination of several devices into functional arrays or circuits. In this article, we review our recent results concerning nanotube chemistry and assembly and their use to develop electronic devices. In particular, we present carbon nanotube field effect transistors and their chemical optimization, high frequency nanotube transistors, nanotube-based opto-electronic devices with memory capabilities and nanotube-based nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS). The impact of chemical functionalization on the electronic properties of CNTs is analyzed on the basis of theoretical calculations. To cite this article: V. Derycke et al., C. R. Physique 10 (2009).     

Reactor scale modeling of multi-walled carbon nanotube growth

As the mechanisms of carbon nanotube (CNT) growth becomes known, it becomes important to understand how to implement this knowledge into reactor scale models to optimize CNT growth. In past work, we have reported fundamental mechanisms and competing deposition regimes that dictate single wall carbon nanotube growth. In this study, we will further explore the growth of carbon nanotubes with multiple walls. A tube flow chemical vapor deposition reactor is simulated using the commercial software package COMSOL, and considered the growth of single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. It was found that the limiting reaction processes for multi-walled carbon nanotubes change at different temperatures than the single walled carbon nanotubes and it was shown that the reactions directly governing CNT growth are a limiting process over certain parameters. This work shows that the optimum conditions for CNT growth are dependent on temperature, chemical concentration, and the number of nanotube walls. Optimal reactor conditions have been identified as defined by (1) a critical inlet methane concentration that results in hydrogen abstraction limited versus hydrocarbon adsorption limited reaction kinetic regime, and (2) activation energy of reaction for a given reactor temperature and inlet methane concentration. Successful optimization of a CNT growth processes requires taking all of those variables into account.     

Effects of Radius and Orientation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Their Nonlinear Tensile Deformation Behaviour

By capturing the atomic information and reflecting the behaviour governed by a nonlinear potential function, an analytical molecular mechanics approach is applied to establish the constitutive relation for single-walled carbon nanotubes （SWCNTs）. The nonlinear tensile deformation curves of zigzag and armchair nanotubes with different radii are predicted, and the elastic properties of these SWCNTs are obtained. A conclusion is made that the nanotube radius has little effect on the mechanical behaviour of SWCNTs subject to simple tension, while the nanotube orientation has larger influence.     

Magnetism in transition-metal-doped silicon nanotubes

Using first-principles density functional calculations, we show that hexagonal metallic silicon nanotubes can be stabilized by doping with 3d transition metal atoms. Finite nanotubes doped with Fe and Mn have high local magnetic moments, whereas Co-doped nanotubes have low values and Ni-doped nanotubes are mostly nonmagnetic. The infinite Si24Fe4 nanotube is found to be ferromagnetic with nearly the same local magnetic moment on each Fe atom as in bulk iron. Mn-doped nanotubes are antiferromagnetic, but a ferrromagnetic state lies only 0.03 eV higher in energy with a gap in the majority spin bands near the Fermi energy. These materials are interesting for silicon-based spintronic devices and other nanoscale magnetic applications.