A Single‐Step Process to Produce Carbon Nanotube‐Zinc Compound Hybrid Materials

Abstract

An atmospheric‐pressure plasma system is developed and is used to treat carbon nanotube assemblies, producing a hybrid carbon‐zinc structure. This system is integrated into a floating‐catalyst chemical vapor deposition furnace used for the synthesis of macroscopic assemblies of carbon nanotubes to allow for the in‐line, continuous, and single‐step production of nano‐composite materials. Material is deposited from a sacrificial zinc wire in the form of nanoparticles and can coat the surface of the individual carbon nanotubes as they form. Additionally, it is found that the deposited materials penetrate further into the carbon nanotube matrix than a comparable post‐synthesis deposition, improving the uniformity of the material through the thickness. Thus, a single‐step metal‐based coating and carbon nanotube synthesis process which can form the basis of production scale manufacturing of metal‐carbon nanotube composite materials with an atmospheric‐pressure plasma system are demonstrated.

Unexpected Electronic Features of NiO Quantum Dots Produced by Femtosecond Pulsed Laser Ablation in Water

“…Synthesis by Microplasmas . The synthesis of the NiO nanocrystals has followed a methodology previously used for the synthesis of a range of other metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. − Briefly, the synthesis setup consists of a microplasma reactor with two ceramic tubes placed coaxially in which the inner tube (outside diameter of 1.3 mm, inside diameter of 0.7 mm) contains a 0.5 mm diameter nickel wire (99.99% purity, purchased from Alfa Aesar) whereas the outer ceramic tube (outside diameter of 3 mm, inside diameter of 2 mm) hosts precursor gases. Both tubes pass through a double copper electrode that is powered by a radiofrequency (13.56 MHz) power supply.…”