A study of gas-sensitive properties of cobalt-modified polyacrylonitrile films by the methods of molecular modeling and quantum chemistry

The results of a theoretical study of the gas-sensitive properties of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) modified with cobalt compounds by using the methods of molecular modeling and quantum chemistry are presented. A surface cluster of cobalt-containing PAN formed by infrared heat treatment is simulated. The most stable configuration of the cluster has been determined, in which molecules of cobalt oxide and cobalt metahydroxide are located between two layers of PAN macromolecules without interacting with each other and with PAN molecules. This explains a composite structure of cobalt-containing PAN films. Molecular modeling demonstrated that the cobalt-modified PAN cluster is selectively sensitive to the molecules of chlorine, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.     

Effect of carbon nanotubes dispersion on morphology, internal structure and thermal stability of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol)/carbon nanotubes nanofibers

The current work reports the effect of multi walled carbon nanotubes and single walled carbon nanotubes dispersion on morphological, structural and thermal degradation of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (PVA/CNTs–SDS) composites nanofibers. (PVA/CNTs–SDS) nanocomposites fibers were elaborated using the traditional electrospinning process to disperse and align CNTs into the fibers, especially for low CNTs loading fraction: 0.3 and 0.7 wt%. The morphology of the electrospun fibers was studied using the scanning electronic microscopy. The average diameter of the fibers changes significantly after the incorporation of the CNTs in the PVA. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy elucidated the effect of CNTs on the crystallization of the PVA which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the thermal stability of the composite fibers depends on the loading fraction and on the type of carbon nanotubes.     

Effects of carbon fibers on the transcrystalline interphase in poly(phenylene sulfide) of different molecular weights

Composite films of different molecular weight poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) and three types of carbon fibers (Pitch, PAN, and Rayon-based fibers) have been studied by optical microscopy and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Transcrystallization of growing spherulites on carbon fibers is found under all thermal conditions of growth on Rayon and Pitch-based carbon fibers for all types of matrices. For composite films with PAN carbon fibers transcrystallization of growing spherulites is not uniform and sometimes is not found at all. Existence of b axial orientation of twisted lamellae for transcrystalline zone of PPS is demonstrated by X-ray diffraction technique and compared with orientation of the stretched sample. The new induction time quantitative approach is applied to the transcrystalline growth of PPS spherulites on the surface of carbon fibers. The interfacial free energy difference for fiber/crystallite and heterogeneities/ crystallite systems in the melt that is defined from growth and nucleation studies are calculated and compared. The relative tendency for a polymer to crystallize at the fiber surface rather than in the bulk is demonstrated.     

Preparation and modification of well-aligned CNTs grown on AAO template

Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template was prepared by a two-step anodization method and cobalt particles were carefully deposited at the bottom of pores of the template. CVD method was used to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the template with this cobalt as catalyst and C₂H₂ as carbon source. Well-aligned carbon nanotubes were obtained perpendicular to the substrate. To modify the CNTs, ultrasonic treatment of the samples in alcoholic (or water) was applied and the results showed that the length of CNTs became equalized and their tips were opened without catalyst particles due to ultrasonically cutting off CNTs for the upper parts out of AAO pores. The mechanism is also discussed.     

Contact improvement of carbon nanotubes via electroless nickel deposition

Individual multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were deposited onto microelectrodes and embedded in nickel to achieve low-ohmic contact resistances. Electroless deposition of nickel onto gold/iron, palladium, and cobalt microelectrodes was used to form electrically stable bonds at the interfaces between the electrodes and CNTs. Resistance measurements showed that the contact resistances of the CNTs on gold/iron and palladium were significantly improved by nickel embedding, whereas no further improvement was found for the CNTs on cobalt. Electroless metal deposition is a parallel process providing stable electrical and mechanical contacts between CNTs and metallic microelectrodes. PACS 81.07.De     

Matchstick-like carbon nanotube synthesis and structure

Matchstick-like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesized by catalytic pyrolysis of thiophene, using a mixture of cobalt nitrate and calcium nitrate as a catalyst. The nanotubes thus grown are aligned, straight, and short, and have spherical heads at their tips. High resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results indicate that the spherical heads of the matchstick-like CNTs are crystalline Co₉S₈ nanoparticles and the CNTs have herringbone-type graphite structure. The effect of temperature on the formation of the matchstick-like CNTs has been investigated. A simple growth model is proposed to describe the growth process of the matchstick-like CNTs. PACS 81.05.Uw; 61.46 Fg; 81.15.Gh; 68.37.Hk; 68.37.Lp     

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes on diamond-like carbon by the hot filament plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted considerable attention as possible routes to device miniaturization due to their excellent mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties. These properties show great potential for devices such as field emission displays, transistors, and sensors. The growth of CNTs can be explained by interaction between small carbon patches and the metal catalyst. The metals such as nickel, cobalt, gold, iron, platinum, and palladium are used as the catalysts for the CNT growth. In this study, diamond-like carbon (DLC) was used for CNT growth as a nonmetallic catalyst layer. DLC films were deposited by a radio frequency (RF) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) method with a mixture of methane and hydrogen gases. CNTs were synthesized by a hot filament plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD) method with ammonia (NH₃) as a pretreatment gas and acetylene (C₂H₂) as a carbon source gas. The grown CNTs and the pretreated DLC films were observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) measurement, and the structure of the grown CNTs was analyzed by high resolution transmission scanning electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Also, using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurement, we confirmed that only the carbon component remained on the substrate.     

Growth of carbon nanotubes using nanocrystalline carbon catalyst

The basic growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) involves dissociation of hydrocarbon molecules over a metal layer as a catalyst. Generally, the metals used for the catalyst include nickel, cobalt, gold, iron, platinum, and palladium. However, the metal catalyst used with CNTs could have a harmful influence on the electrical properties of electronic devices. Therefore, we propose the use of nanocrystalline carbon (nc-C) as the catalyst for the growth of CNTs. We used a nc-C catalyst layer deposited by the closed-field unbalanced magnetron (CFUBM) sputtering method, and CNTs were grown by the hot filament plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (HF-PECVD) method with ammonia (NH₃) as a pretreatment and acetylene gas (C₂H₂) as a carbon source. The CNTs were grown on the nc-C layers pretreated with a variation of the pretreatment time. The characteristics of the pretreated nc-C layers and the grown CNTs were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. Also, the structural variation of the pretreated nc-C layers was investigated by Raman measurement. We used the nc-C catalyst without metal, and we confirmed that our CNTs were composed with only carbon elements through an EDS measurement. Also, the pretreatment time was attributed to the growth of CNTs.     

Spin-orbit interaction and two-dimensional weak localization in a carbon matrix with cobalt nanoclusters

The magnetic-field dependence of the magnetoresistive effect in carbon fibers that contain cobalt nanoclusters and exhibit effects of weak localization at low temperatures (T < 45 K) is investigated on the metal side of the dielectric-metal transition. The carbon fibers are prepared by heat treatment of carboxylated cellulose after the substitution of cobalt cations for protons of COOH groups. It is found that, under conditions of two-dimensional weak localization at temperatures below 10 K, the carbon fibers possess an alternating magnetoresistance due to spin-orbit scattering of electrons by cobalt nanoclusters. The time of phase breaking of the wave function and the time of spin-orbit scattering are determined from a comparison of the experimental and theoretical magnetic-field dependences of the electrical resistance.     

Electrical,structural and thermal studies of carbon nanotubes from natural legume seeds: kala chana

ABSTRACT

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the carbon materials measured at nanoscale level and they are defined in two types according to the number of concentric layers, i.e. single-layer tube is single-walled nanotubes, while multi-layer tube structure is called multi-walled nanotubes. The green method synthesis for the preparation of CNTs begins with the smashing of legume seeds kala chana, and then they form complex with cobalt salt. Desiccation of the complex compound forms cobalt salt and seed protein. The complex is then decomposed at 625 ºC in muffle furnace for 20 min. Purification of the decomposed sample is done through acid wash treatment and dried in vacuum oven. The confirmations of CNTs are done by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared, which analyzes the denatured protein, reacted to the metal salt. X-Ray diffraction determines the MWNTs with transmission electron microscope (TEM) reports the network structure of CNTs. thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA)–differential thermal analysis (DTA)–thermogravimetric analysis (DTG) tests the amount of sample under thermal treatment. Vibrating sample magnetometer determines the paramagnetic nature of CNTs. CNTs thus prepared can be used in mechanical fields, in solar cells, in electronics fields, etc. because of their multidisciplinary properties. The synthesized CNTs are eco-friendly in nature, prepared by the legume seed natural precursor.