Mechanical properties of bulk carbon nanomaterials

Bulk carbon nanomaterials, which open prospects for the development of a new generation of supercapacitors, are actively investigated for recent years, but their mechanical properties and structure remain poorly understood. In connection with this fact, the influence of the hydrostatic and uniaxial compression on mechanical properties and structure of three bulk nanomaterials consisting of (i) bent graphene flakes, (ii) short carbon nanotubes, and (iii) fullerenes C₂₄₀ are investigated by the molecular dynamics method. It is shown that the strength of the material and its stability to graphitization depend on its constituent structural units. At large degrees of deformation, the material consisting of bent graphene sheets has the highest strength, whereas at the material density lower than 2.5 g/cm³, the highest strength is observed in the nanomaterial consisting of fullerene molecules. The differences in mechanical properties of the materials under consideration are explained by their structural features.     

Facile Synthesis of Porous‐Carbon Nanoarchitectures as Advanced and Durable Electrodes for Supercapacitors

Carbon nanomaterials with remarkable capacitance are highly notable. Although electronic double‐layer capacitors exhibit high power density, their low energy density blocks the practical utility of these carbon materials. Herein, a type of porous‐carbon nanoarchitecture with significant capacitive performance is successfully synthesized using a ZnO template and KOH activation. Benefiting from its excellent conductivity, ultrahigh surface area, and porous architecture, the as‐prepared porous carbon delivers a high capacitance of 245.4 mF cm^?2 at a current density of 2 mA cm^?2 with impressive rate performance. Moreover, it shows superior cycling durability with more than 99% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles. A cost‐effective, eco‐friendly, and promising strategy is proposed for the large‐scale preparation of porous‐carbon nanomaterial electrodes.     

High pressure structural phase transitions of TiO_2 nanomaterials

Recently, the high pressure study on the TiO_2 nanomaterials has attracted considerable attention due to the typical crystal structure and the fascinating properties of TiO_2 with nanoscale sizes. In this paper, we briefly review the recent progress in the high pressure phase transitions of TiO_2 nanomaterials. We discuss the size effects and morphology effects on the high pressure phase transitions of TiO_2 nanomaterials with different particle sizes, morphologies, and microstructures. Several typical pressure-induced structural phase transitions in TiO_2 nanomaterials are presented, including size-dependent phase transition selectivity in nanoparticles, morphology-tuned phase transition in nanowires, nanosheets,and nanoporous materials, and pressure-induced amorphization(PIA) and polyamorphism in ultrafine nanoparticles and TiO_2-B nanoribbons. Various TiO_2 nanostructural materials with high pressure structures are prepared successfully by high pressure treatment of the corresponding crystal nanomaterials, such as amorphous TiO_2 nanoribbons, α-PbO_2-type TiO_2 nanowires, nanosheets, and nanoporous materials. These studies suggest that the high pressure phase transitions of TiO_2 nanomaterials depend on the nanosize, morphology, interface energy, and microstructure. The diversity of high pressure behaviors of TiO_2 nanomaterials provides a new insight into the properties of nanomaterials, and paves a way for preparing new nanomaterials with novel high pressure structures and properties for various applications.     

Copper‐Based Nanomaterials for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Batteries

With the increasing energy demands for electronic devices and electrical vehicles, anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries with high specific capacity, good cyclic and rate performance become one of the focal areas of research. A class of them is the copper‐based nanomaterials that have thermal and chemical stability, high theoretical specific capacity, low price and environment friendliness. Now this kind of nanomaterials has been recognized as one of the critical materials for lithium‐ion batteries due to the predicted future market growth. Current status of different copper‐based materials which produced already are discussed. In this review, comprehensive summaries and evaluations are given in synthesis strategies, tailored material properties and different electrochemical performance. Recent progress of general copper‐based nanomaterials for lithium‐ion batteries is carefully presented.     

Electronic properties and quantum transport in Graphene-based nanostructures

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) represent a novel class of low-dimensional materials. All these graphene-based nanostructures are expected to display the extraordinary electronic, thermal and mechanical properties of graphene and are thus promising candidates for a wide range of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications. In this paper, the electronic and quantum transport properties of these carbon nanomaterials are reviewed. Although these systems share the similar graphene electronic structure, confinement effects are playing a crucial role. Indeed, the lateral confinement of charge carriers could create an energy gap near the charge neutrality point, depending on the width of the ribbon, the nanotube diameter, the stacking of the carbon layers regarding the different crystallographic orientations involved. After reviewing the transport properties of defect-free systems, doping and topological defects (including edge disorder) are also proposed as tools to taylor the quantum conductance in these materials. Their unusual electronic and transport properties promote these carbon nanomaterials as promising candidates for new building blocks in a future carbon-based nanoelectronics, thus opening alternatives to present silicon-based electronics devices.     

Carbon-Based Materials: Growth,Properties, MEMS/NEMS Technologies,and MEM/NEM Switches

Micro- or nanoelectromechanical system (MEMS/NEMS) is a multidisciplinary field, which has witnessed explosive growth during the past decades. The current materials for MEMS are dominated by Si thanks to the fully based technology for CMOS. However, Si has its own intrinsic limitations such as poor mechanical or tribological properties and poor thermal stability. Carbon-based materials such as diamond, carbon nanotube, and graphene possess excellent properties such as low mass, high Young's modulus, high thermal conductivity, hydrophobic surface, and tailorable electronic configuration, which make these materials promising for MEMS/NEMS applications with diverse and much better performance than Si. In this review, we describe the recent progress of carbon-based materials for MEMS/NEMS with focus on diamond, carbon nanotube, and graphene. The growth of these carbon materials is briefly described and only selected properties are discussed with respect to MEMS/NEMS applications. The fabrication process for suspended structures of these materials toward MEMS/NEMS is comprehensively reviewed from the recent literatures. Special attention is devoted to the state-of-the-art of MEM/NEM switches based on these carbon materials, one of the most important fields in MEMS/NEMS. Finally, the application of carbon-based MEM/NEM switches to microwave field is critically analyzed.     

Carbon nanotubes adhesion and nanomechanical behavior from peeling force spectroscopy

Applications based on single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) are good example of the great need to continuously develop metrology methods in the field of nanotechnology. Contact and interface properties are key parameters that determine the efficiency of SWNT functionalized nanomaterials and nanodevices. In this work we have taken advantage of a good control of the SWNT growth processes at an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip apex and the use of a low noise (10⁻¹³ m/√Hz) AFM to investigate the mechanical behavior of a SWNT touching a surface. By simultaneously recording static and dynamic properties of SWNT, we show that the contact corresponds to a peeling geometry, and extract quantities such as adhesion energy per unit length, curvature and bending rigidity of the nanotube. A complete picture of the local shape of the SWNT and its mechanical behavior is provided.     

Controllable and Predictable Viscoelastic Behavior of 3D Boron‐Doped Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Sponges

3D carbon nanotube (CNT)‐based macrostructures are the subject of extensive attention because the outstanding properties of 1D and 2D nanostructures have not been fully translated into key engineering applications. Generation of 3D CNT architectures with covalent junctions could endow the new materials with extraordinary mechanical properties. In this study, detailed experimental characterization and statistical comparison are carried out on 3D boron‐doped multiwalled CNT (CB_xMWNT) sponges with covalent junctions and undoped multiwalled CNT (undoped‐MWNT) sponges without junctions. By investigating the plastic, elastic, viscoelastic, and dynamic viscoelastic properties of both sponges, as well as the dependency of these mechanical properties on material morphology, the CB_xMWNT sponge is found to be a more predictable and stable material than the undoped‐MWNT sponge. Statistical comparison proves that the excellent properties of the CB_xMWNT are attributed to its “elbow‐like” junctions inside the 3D networks, which prevent permanent buckling and bundling of the CNTs under extreme loading. Thus, by optimizing the covalent junctions in 3D CNT sponges, their functional behavior can be controlled and regulated. These findings may promote applications of 3D CNT sponges in various fields, including biomedical or high‐precision devices in which lightweight, controllable, and reliable mechanical properties are always desirable.     

第一性原理研究hcp-C3碳体环材料的力学性质

为探索新型高强度材料, 使用第一性原理方法研究了hcp-C3碳体环材料的晶体结构、电子性质与力学性质. 结构计算与电子性质分析表明, 基于特殊的分子结构, 碳体环结构中出现了变形的sp³杂化形式. 这使得hcp-C3碳体环结构中力学特性具有明显的方向依赖性. 力学性质计算表明, 沿着[0001]晶向, 碳体环结构的弹性模量达到1033 GPa, 抗拉强度达到124.17 GPa, 抗压强度达到381.83 GPa, 沿[2110]晶向的抗压强度达到了458.34 GPa, 从而显示了hcp-C3碳体环材料优秀的力学性质. hcp-C3碳体环材料可作为新型的高强度材料而使用.     

Size-dependent photodegradation of CdS particles deposited onto TiO2 mesoporous films by SILAR method

Carbonaceous nanomaterials, such as fullerene C₆₀, carbon nanotubes, and their functionalized derivatives have been demonstrated to possess high sorption capacity for organic and heavy metal contaminants, indicating a potential for remediation application. The actual application of these nanomaterials, however, is often hindered by the high cost of materials and the limited understanding of their mobility in porous media. In this work, carbon nano-onions (CNOs), a relatively new addition to the carbonaceous nanomaterials, were synthesized in a cost-effective way using a laser-assisted combustion synthesis process, and carefully characterized for their potential remediation application. Surface oxidized CNOs possessed 10 times higher sorption capacity than C₆₀ for heavy metal ion contaminants including Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺. CNOs aqueous suspension can be very stable in NaCl solution at ionic strength up to 30?mM and CaCl₂ solution at ionic strength up to 4?mM CaCl₂ when pH ranged from 5 to 9, which are consistent with environmentally relevant conditions. Interactions of CNOs with iron oxide and silica surfaces under favorable condition were found to be electrostatic in origin. Mobility of CNOs in quartz sands was controlled by electrolyte type and concentration. Approximately 4.4, 25.1, and 92.5?% of injected CNO mass were retained in the sand column in ultrapure water, 1?mM?NaCl, and 1?mM CaCl₂ solutions, respectively.     

Epitaxial Growth of Urchin‐Like CoSe2 Nanorods from Electrospun Co‐Embedded Porous Carbon Nanofibers and Their Superior Lithium Storage Properties

A facile synthesis of porous graphitic carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with encapsulated Co nanoparticles (denote as Co@CNFs) via electrospinning and subsequent annealing is reported. The in situ generated Co nanoparticles (NPs) promote the CNF graphitization under a low temperature of 700 °C, which simultaneously results in the porous structure of the Co@CNFs with a large surface area (416 m² g^?1). Furthermore, urchin‐like CoSe₂ nanorods are epitaxially grown from the Co@CNFs via a facile hydrothermal selenation, in which the embedded Co NPs serve as directing seeds and sacrificial Co‐source, and CoSe₂ nanorods are rooted into the CNFs (denote as CoSe₂@CNFs). When used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries, the CoSe₂@CNFs demonstrate superior lithium storage properties, delivering a high reversible capacity of 1405 mA h g^?1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g^?1. The enhanced lithium storage performance can be attributed to the novel hybrid structure, namely, the porous and graphitic CNFs can not only facilitate the charge/ion transfer but also buffer the volume changes of the electrode during lithiation/delithiation processes. More importantly, a general strategy is provided to graphitize amorphous carbon materials via the use of in situ generated transition metal nanoparticles as catalyst.     

Mechanical properties of sorbents depending on nanopore sizes

The effect of the nanopore size on the mechanical properties of a porous carbon material with the density of 1.4 g/сm³ is discussed. The atomistic models of porous carbon materials depending on the nanopore size are constructed. The numerical experiments are implemented with using the molecular mechanical method based on the Brenner potential. The Young’s moduli are evaluated for porous carbon structures at certain nanopore dimensions and are found to decrease with the enlarging nanopores.     

环氧树脂基碳纳米复合电磁屏蔽材料研究

基于碳纳米材料有序结构优异的结构与功能特点,研究了其在新型电磁防护材料中的应用,结合环氧树脂与碳纳米有序结构在电磁屏蔽效能和力学性能方面表现出的显著优势,论述了环氧树脂基碳纳米管复合电磁屏蔽材料和碳纳米管有序纳米结构研究,通过电磁仿真优化设计构筑三维导电网络结构,得出8~12 GHz电磁波段屏蔽效能≥82.96 dB的理想结构模型,为环氧树脂基碳纳米复合电磁屏蔽材料研究开发提供了指导,有利于该新型电磁屏蔽材料在国防、国民经济各领域的应用。     

Co-effects of graphene oxide sheets and single wall carbon nanotubes on mechanical properties of cement

The enhancement of mechanical properties of cement composites by a carbon nanomaterial is an important topic. However, the co-effect of two (or more) carbon nanomaterials on the mechanical properties of cement has not been explored. In this paper, it was found that the mixture of graphene oxide (GO) sheets and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) exhibited an excellent co-effect, leading to 72.7% increase in bending strength of cement, which is much larger than the strength enhancements of 51.2% by GO and 26.3% by SWCNTs. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the bending strength of cement composite materials with GO and SWCNTs is proportional to the sizes of crystal SiO₂ particles.     

碳纳米管掺杂聚丙烯腈/铜室温环化为石墨的拉曼光谱分析及形成机制研究

石墨质碳质材料因具有良好的电学、力学、热学性能而在电子设备,复合材料,电池,传感器中得到广泛应用,但针对生产能耗高,污染大,成本高,不可控等现状是急需解决的核心问题。因此,通过使用较简单和成本低的制造技术在纳米级器件中获得石墨碳结构的方法是一个有吸引力的探索领域。表面等离激元技术因具有环境友好、能耗低等优点而受到广泛关注,利用等离激元技术诱导大分子链状聚合物石墨化就是一种具有广阔前景的制备技术,而Cu作为贱金属具有产量高,价格便宜等优势。基于表面等离激元技术,利用激光辐射粗糙Cu表面上的聚丙烯腈(PAN)+碳纳米管(CNT),而使聚丙烯腈在金属表面被石墨化。通过改变基底刻蚀时间、退火温度、退火时间、激光强度系统地研究了PAN/Cu和PAN+CNT/Cu得到最佳石墨化条件。实验结果表明：以PAN作为探针分子,在2.5 mol·L^-1硝酸刻蚀15min的铜基底上,观察到了增强因子为1.39×10⁴的表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)效应。通过使用拉曼激光作为光源,在退火温度为140℃时,可以观察到石墨化的PAN分子结构缺陷较少,碳氮三键消失,其I     

Carbon fractals grown from carbon nanotips by plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition

Carbon nanomaterials with different structures were prepared in a custom-designed plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition system using methane, hydrogen and nitrogen. They were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The SEM images show that the smooth carbon nanotips are formed under a high bias current and the carbon fractals can grow from the tips of the carbon nanotips under a low bias current. The results of micro-Raman spectroscopy indicate that the graphitization of the carbon nanomaterials was improved by ion bombardment. Combined the ion bombardment, electric field enhancement and electron emission mechanisms, the formation model of the carbon fractals was suggested.     

Synthesis of aligned carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanomaterials seem to be most attractive because of their fascinating features. Carbon nanotubes emerged recently as unique nanostructures with remarkable mechanical and electronic properties. Future applications will require a fabrication method capable of producing uniform carbon nanotubes with well-defined and controllable reproducibility of their properties. In this review, recent results addressing rational and efficient methods to obtain aligned arrays of these one-dimensional carbon nanomaterials will be discussed. Received: 3 November 2000 / Accepted: 30 May 2001 / Published online: 30 August 2001     

The Influence of the Geometric Shape of Carbon Nanoparticles on the Strength Properties of Nanocomposite Materials Obtained by Filling an Epoxy Matrix

Abstract

The effects of filling an epoxy matrix modified with “Viniflex” with carbon nanotubes, fullerene C₆₀, or graphene on the mechanical properties, surface morphologies and glass transition temperatures of the composite materials obtained after curing were studied. It was shown that the largest decrease in glass transition temperature and an increase in impact strength was achieved by the introduction of 0.1 mass% graphene. Filling with graphene and carbon nanotubes increased the bending strength while filling with C₆₀ fullerenes provided the greatest compressive strength and elasticity modulus. An explanation of the results was based on ideas about the relationship of the geometrical shape of the nanofiller to the load direction and features of the phase composition of the composite materials. It is suggested that the carbon nanomaterials had a template effect on the packing of the epoxy matrix chains.     

Effect of catalytic graphitization on the electric heating performance of electroless nickel-coated carbon fibers

Graphite possesses several desirable properties, which facilitate its applications in several materials. However, the applications of graphitic materials depend on the extent of graphitization. Generally, the heat treatment of carbon is carried out at temperatures above 3000 °C. However, in this study, the catalytic graphitization of carbon fiber (CF) with an electroless Ni–P coating was studied at low temperature. The surface morphology and structural, thermal, and electrical properties of CF with and without electroless Ni–P coating were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, infrared thermal imaging, and four-probe volume resistivity testing. The results showed that the catalytic graphitization of CF considerably improved at relatively low temperatures when a Ni–P coating was present. Moreover, when the average P content was 15.88 wt%, the degree of catalytic graphitization of Ni–P-coated CF markedly increased with heat treatment at 600 °C.