Thermal stability of carbon nanotubes probed by anchored tungsten nanoparticles

Abstract

The thermal stability of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was studied in high vacuum using tungsten nanoparticles as miniaturized thermal probes. The particles were placed on CNTs inside a high-resolution transmission electron microscope equipped with a scanning tunneling microscope unit. The setup allowed manipulating individual nanoparticles and heating individual CNTs by applying current to them. CNTs were found to withstand high temperatures, up to the melting point of 60-nm-diameter W particles (∼ 3400 K). The dynamics of W particles on a hot CNT, including particle crystallization, quasimelting, melting, sublimation and intradiffusion, were observed in real time and recorded as a video. Graphite layers reel off CNTs when melted or premelted W particles revolve along the tube axis.

Nonlinear optical limiters of pulsed laser radiation based on carbon‐containing nanostructures in viscous and solid matrices

“…The described sequence of the processes is in agreement with high temperature resistance of carbon‐containing nanotubes and is confirmed by the fact that the threshold of limiting is dependent on the type of matrix and is not dependent on the structure of carbon‐containing nanotubes in the same matrix. Apparently, the decrease of threshold and increase of the limiting range by the pure polysiloxane matrix and the composite popysiloxane‐CNT can be connected with an additional scattering of laser radiation by nanoparticles of SiO 2 , which are forming at the pyrolysis of polymethylsiloxane.…”

Nanomaterial Engineering and Property Studies in a Transmission Electron Microscope

“…It is noted that, to date, apart from the case of standard multi‐walled carbon nanotubes, most of the electrical, mechanical and/or thermal properties of many individual inorganic nanostructures, and their hybrides, have remained basically unknown. Fabrication of the numerous pristine, doped and filled carbon nanotubes,16–24 boron nitride nanotubes,25–33 inorganic nanowires34–36 and C and BN nanosheets37–40 for the below described in situ probing is a challenging work, in which our group has historically had significant achievements. In order to gain clear insights into the properties of these nanoinorganics both STM‐TEM and AFM‐TEM “Nanofactory Instruments’” holders were adopted.…”

Modules for protecting the eyes from laser radiation in observational devices

“…The experimental results obtained in Ref. 10 show that multilayer carbon nanotubes in vacuum are stable against temperatures of at least 3400 K. The theoretical limit of temperature stability of multilayer carbon nanotubes is estimated in Ref. 11 as 4000 K. These circumstances make it possible to assume that the carbon nanotubes in the composite studied here withstand laser radiation up to a definite intensity without breaking down.…”