Carbon NanoTubes

Dr. Rajeev Singh

http://people.du.ac.in/~rajeev/

No copyright claim on pictures by the author.

Document written and compiled from various sources for the benefit of students
and academic purpose.
Scientists at the IIT, Kanpur have shown that kaajal actually contains carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
These scientists went one step further and derived a water-soluble version of kaajal that
showed magnetic properties "that has not been reported previously."

"Spintronics" is a new field that exploits the 'spin' of the electron (that gives rise to
magnetisation) rather than its 'charge‘ to create a remarkable new generation of 'spintronic'
devices which will be smaller and more versatile than those currently making up silicon chips
and circuit elements.
 Nanotubes’ excellent strength to weight ratio
creates the potential
to build an elevator to
space.
 What is a Carbon Nanotube?

Carbon nano-tubes (CNT's) are thin hollow cylindrical shape nanotubes,

with a diameter about 10,000 times smaller than a human hair. CNT's
are typically longer in length about few tens of nanometers to
several micrometers.

The range of CNT's diameter is 30-1

nm.

CNT is configurationally equivalent

to a two dimensional graphene
sheet rolled into a tube.
 Types of Carbon nanotubes
Nanotubes are distinguished according to the number of outer wall of
the Carbon tube. They can have a single outer wall of carbon, or can be
made of multiple walls (concentric cylinders one inside another).

• Single-walled carbon
SWNT nanotube

• Multi-walled carbon
MWNT nanotube
Single-walled carbon nanotube structure
The design of a single walled CNT depends upon the method with
which the graphene is wrapped.

SWNT can be formed in three different designs:

Armchair, Chiral, and Zigzag.
Multi-walled carbon nanotube structure
There are two structural models of multi-walled nanotubes:
– Russian Doll model
– Parchment model

In the Russian Doll model, a carbon

nanotube contains another nanotube
inside it (the inner nanotube has a smaller
diameter than the outer nanotube).

In the Parchment model, a single graphene

sheet is rolled around itself multiple times,
resembling a rolled up scroll of paper.
Synthesis techniques involved
Sublimation-
Decomposition
Desublimation

Arc-discharge Chemical
Vapour
Deposition
Laser ablation (CVD)
 Arc Discharge Method
• The first ever nano-tubes were produced by this method.
• Most efficient method.

The method involves use of two graphite rods as anode and cathode.
A current is continuously passed between the electrodes.
The anode is drilled and filled with catalysts. (metal oxides of Ni, Co, Fe are used as
catalyst.)

The synthesis is carried out in a cooled inert chamber in cooled chamber.

During the arcing, the graphite anode is evaporated and consumed with simultaneous
carbon
Deposition around the surface of terminal of the cathode. The quality of CNT depends
upon arc stability, current density and cooling of cathode.

This technique involves condensation of Carbon atoms produced by evaporation of

solid Carbon source of graphite.
Sublimation involves treating the solid by electric arc or laser ablation to a
temperature of 2500-3500oC
Arc Discharge Method
 Laser Vaporization/ Ablation Method
It involves use of a powerful and focussed Laser beam to vaporize a
target of mixture of graphite and metal catalyst, such as Co or Ni at a
temperature of approximately 1200°C in controlled atmosphere of
inert gas and pressure.
 Chemical Vapor Deposition technique for CNT
This is the most utilized method for the preparation of CNT. It involves pyrolysis of
hydrocarbon gases or vapours such as propane, butane, hexane, benzene, toluene etc.

CNT can be produced in bulk using this method.

Hydrocarbon + Fe/Co/Ni catalyst 550-1300°C CNT

The process temperature caries from 500-1400 oC.

Steps:
• Initial Dissociation of hydrocarbon.
• Dissolution and saturation of C atoms in metal nanoparticles
• Precipitation of Carbon.

This method uses metal catalyst particles of Fe, Co, Ni, which act as nucleation sites and
also promote pyrolysis of hydrocarbons.
 Nanotubes being
grown by plasma
enhanced Chemical
Vapor Deposition
Properties
Strength
● Carbon nanotubes have a higher tensile strength in comparison
to similar materials like steel/ kevlar. In fact reinforcing Kevlar with
CNT’s can produce material of very high strength.

● The strength is the result of presence of sp² bonds between the

individual C-atoms.

● Under extreme pressure conditions, the individual nanotubes

can bond together, exchanging sp² bonds for sp³ bonds, thereby
creating the possibility of producing long nanotube wires.

Carbon nanotubes have elastic properties too. It can be shaped

by pressing its top and bending. The CNT returns back to its
original shape once this external pressure is removed. Under
extreme pressure conditions, they can be permanently deformed
in shape.
Hardness
● Standard SWNT can tolerate a pressure of upto 25 GPa without deformation. Under
more pressure (55GPa) they change to superhard phase nanotubes.

Electrical properties
● the conductivity of CNT’s is dependent upon the structure of CNT.
● The strong bonds between C-atoms allow CNT’s to withstand higher electric currents
than copper.
● Electron transport occurs only along the axis of the tube.
● SWNT’s can route electrical signals at speeds up to 10 GHz on semiconducting devices.

Thermal Properties
● The strength of the atomic bonds in CNT’s make them very good thermal conductors.
● In comparison to copper wires, the CNT’s can transmit over 15 times the amount of
watts per meter per Kelvin.
● The thermal conductivity of CNT’s is dependent on the temperature of the tubes and
the outside environment.

Wettability
● The surface wettability is of importance for its various applications. The contact angles
of most CNT’s is over 160°, thereby showing a superhydrophobic property.

● By applying a low voltage as low as 1.3V, the extreme water repellant surface can be
switched into superhydrophilic.
 References
• https://lia.scitation.org/doi/10.2351/1.4990494
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40538-016-0070-8/figures/2
• Topics in Applied Physics
Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Structure, Properties and Applications
M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Dresselhaus, Ph. Avouris
• Carbon Nanotube Electronics
PHAEDON AVOURIS, MEMBER, IEEE, JOERG APPENZELLER, RICHARD MARTEL, AND SHALOM J. WIND,
SENIOR MEMBER, IEEE
PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE, VOL. 91, NO. 11, NOVEMBER 2003
• Carbon Nanotubes: Single molecule wires
Sarah Burke, Sean Collins, David Montiel, Mikhail Sergeev
• http://www.ipt.arc.nasa.gov
• Carbon Nanotubes: Introduction to Nanotechnology 2003, Mads Brandbyge.