Selective growth of ZnO nanorods for gas sensors using ink-jet printing and hydrothermal processes

Selective growth of ZnO nanorod arrays with well-defined areas was developed to fabricate the NO₂ gas sensor. The seed solution was ink-jet printed on the interdigitated electrodes. Then, vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on the patterned seed layer by the hydrothermal approach. The influences of seed-solution properties and the ink-jet printing parameters on the printing performance and the morphology of the nanorods were studied. Round micropattern (diameter: 650 μm) of ZnO nanorod arrays is demonstrated. The dimensions and positions of the nanorod arrays can be controlled by changing the printed seed pattern. The effects of nanorod structure and nanorod size on the gas-sensing capability of ZnO nanorod gas sensors were demonstrated. Due to the high surface-to-volume ratios of the nanorod-array structure, the ZnO nanorod gas sensor can respond to 750 ppb NO₂ at 100 °C. The sensors without baking treatment exhibit the typical response of a p-type semiconductor. However, only the response of n-type semiconductor oxides was observed after the annealing treatment at 150 °C for 2 h.     

Direct ion beam deposited carbon films and clusters

Carbon films and clusters have been formed by direct ion beam deposition. In all experiments crystalline n-Si 〈1 0 0〉 wafers with the 300 nm thermal SiO₂ film have been used as substrates. Effects of thermally microstructured Ni and substrate temperature were studied. Chemical structure of the carbon films was investigated using Raman spectroscopy. Surface morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Supplemental research on sheet resistance of the films has been performed. Rough diamond-like carbon film was grown onto the catalytic layer at 400 K temperature, and surface of the diamond-like carbon film deposited directly onto the SiO₂ layer at 400 K temperature was very smooth. At 750 K growth of the array of cylindrically shaped clusters was observed by AFM in the case of catalytically assisted deposition. Raman spectra of deposited films were typical for glassy carbon and/or carbon nanotubes with the carbonaceous deposits. Catalyticless deposition at 750 K temperature resulted in the formation of the conductive polymer-like carbon film with the graphite clusters in it.     

Conductive network formation in the melt of carbon nanotube/thermoplastic polyurethane composite

This research concerns the effect of conductive network formation in a polymer melt on the conductivity of multi-walled carbon nanotube/thermoplastic polyurethane composite systems. An extremely low percolation threshold of 0.13 wt.% was achieved in hot-pressed composite film samples, whereas a much higher CNT concentration (3–4 wt.%) is needed to form a conductive network in extruded composite strands. This is explained in terms of the dynamic percolation behaviour of the CNT network in the polymer melt. The temperature and CNT concentration needed for dynamic percolation to take effect were studied by the conductivity versus temperature behaviour of extruded strands, in an attempt to optimise the processing conditions.     

Highly conductive and transparent carbon nanotube composite thin films deposited on polyethylene terephthalate solution dipping

In this letter we present highly conductive and transparent thin films of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and conductive polymer composite deposited on polyethylene terephthalate film substrates by solution dipping. The initial results show that 66 Ω/? sheet resistance can be achieved with 80% transmission at the wavelength of 550 nm. This result is much superior to the performances of the pure SWCNT thin films deposited using the same technique. The improvement is attributed to the increase of effective electric conductive tube-tube junctions in the CNT network.     

Synthesis and electrochemical performance of a laminated hollow porous carbon

A laminated hollow porous carbon with high surface area of 2368 m²/g was synthesized using a nonporous metal organic coordinate polymer as template. When used as electrode materials for electric double layer capacitors, the synthesized porous carbon presents a high specific capacitance of 234 F/g at a current density of 10 mA/g in 6 M KOH electrolyte and the capacitance retention can obtain 87% at current density of 20,000 mA/g.     

碳纳米管复合亚麻纤维柔性传感材料的制备

导电的碳纳米管(CNTs)与不导电的亚麻纤维(CEL)相结合,可以得到柔性导电复合材料。拉伸或弯曲该材料对其导电性能影响很大。根据电阻变化率(ΔR/R₀)可以敏锐地检测到材料形状的变化,因此CNTs/CEL复合材料适用于柔性传感器。用NaOH/尿素水体系处理亚麻纤维,得到CEL浆,再与不同浓度的CNTs悬浊液混合、抽滤、干燥,制得了CNTs/CEL复合材料。用XRD、FTIR和SEM分析了CNTs/CEL复合材料的结构形态。将CNTs/CEL复合材料制成形变传感器,用拉伸导电性能测试了拉伸对传感器导电性能的影响;将传感器应用到手指关节上,用电阻变化监测了手指弯曲时传感器的形变敏感性。结果发现,随着拉伸应变的增加,CNTs/CEL传感器的电阻变化率ΔR/R₀逐渐增大,50%应变下,ΔR/R₀达到980以上,能灵敏地感知到形状的变化;随着手指关节弯曲程度的增加,CNTs/CEL传感器电阻随之增大,手指最大程度弯曲时,CNTs/CEL传感器电阻可以达到12000 Ω以上,而且重复性良好。      

Nanocrystalline diamond piezoresistive sensor

The design, fabrication and test of piezoresistive sensors based on nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films are reported. The CoventorWare FEM calculations of the mechanical stress and geometrical deformations of a 3-D structure are used for a proper localization of the piezoresistor on the carrying substrate. The boron-doped piezoresistive sensing element was realized using a directed patterned growth of NCD film on SiO₂/Si by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The gauge factor of boron-doped NCD films was investigated in the range from room temperature up to 200 °C and from 0 to 5 N of the applied force. These NCD piezoresistive sensor elements are compared with a Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) based piezoresistive sensor and their high-temperature applications are discussed.     

Hydrogen peroxide vapor sensor using metal-phthalocyanine functionalized carbon nanotubes

We have developed a process for preparation of composites by blending and ultrasonification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with metal-phthalocyanines and have used the same as very selective and sensitive sensor for detection of H₂O₂ vapors. A combination of sensors made from composites of cobalt-phthalocyanine and copper-phthalocyanine with multiwall carbon nanotubes has been found to show opposite conductivities to H₂O₂ vapors while the pair shows similar response to other chemical vapors. This unusual behavior makes this paired sensor as a reliable method to selectively identify the presence of H₂O₂ vapors with response and recovery times of few seconds. Our developed sensors work at room temperature and show resistivity in the range of 10⁴ to 10⁵ Ω cm. They can be employed for detection of H₂O₂ based explosives, to monitor levels of H₂O₂ in industrial units and other applications.     

TiO2-nanorod decorated carbon nanotubes for high-permittivity and low-dielectric-loss polystyrene composites

Polymer composites with high permittivity and low dielectric loss are highly desirable in electronic and electrical industry. Adding conductive fillers could significantly increase the permittivity of a polymer. However, polymer composites containing conductive fillers often exhibit very high dielectric loss due to their large electrical conduction or leakage currents. In this work, by engineering TiO₂-nanorod-decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (TD-CNTs), polystyrene (PS) composite with high permittivity and low dielectric loss have been successfully prepared. The composite containing of 17.2 vol.% TD-CNTs has a permittivity of 37 at 1 kHz, which is 13.7 times higher than that of the pure PS (2.7), while the dielectric loss still remains at a low value below 0.11. The dielectric properties of the composites are closely related to the length of CNTs and the loading level of TiO₂-nanorods on the CNT surfaces.     

Dual-cathode method for sputtering magnetoelastic iron-boron films

Magnetoelastic sensors have gained attention in recent years due to their wireless nature and versatility in sensing applications, but there have been issues with fabrication, especially as sensor platform sizes approach the microscale. In this work, a dual-cathode method is presented for the co-deposition of iron and boron to produce magnetoelastic films that serve as the basis for wireless sensors. Deposition rate and film composition experiments were performed to optimize sputtering conditions for obtaining high-quality films with compositions near to the goal of 80/20 at.% iron/boron. The magnetoelasticity of films produced using this method, along with the potential of wireless sensors based upon these films, was confirmed by fabricating small (500 × 100 × 5 μm) sensor platforms and then testing for resonance using a coil and a network analyzer. These sensors were found to have resonance frequencies of around 4 kHz with Q-values, in air, of over 1000. By coating the sensor platforms with gold using a third cathode, and then annealing in a vacuum oven at 220 °C, the environmentally sensitive iron-based alloy that forms the core of the sensor platform may be protected from corrosion.     

Method for reducing contact resistivity of carbon nanotube-containing epoxy adhesives for aerospace applications

Bonded joints prepared with conductive epoxy adhesive based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) display an unusually high resistance mainly due to the high contact resistivity at the adhesive metal interface. A new method is proposed to reduce efficiently the contact resistivity by forcing a controlled amount of electric current through the bonded joint. Current treatment at 0.5 A/cm² of current densities for 30 s typically reduces to up to 10 times the contact resistivity. Apart from noble metals, all other metals are usually covered by a more or less conductive oxide layer. This oxide layer is the main cause for high contact resistivity. During the current treatment large gradients of electric field developed around the highly curved CNTs are capable of breaking down locally the oxide layer generating conductive channels. Static shear strength and fatigue resistance of the bonded joint are not affected by the current treatment.     

Facile and rapid fabrication of conductive layers on flexible polymer surfaces and their application to flexible strain sensors

The advantage of building a conductive network on the surface layer of a flexible substrate is that it has less impact on the elastic recovery properties of the substrate, which is particularly important for flexible strain sensors. However, the facile construction of robust conductive layers on the surface of flexible polymers remains a challenge. Herein, a method for constructing robust conductive layers on the surface of thermoplastic polymers was developed by immersing thermoplastic polymers in a solvent/conductive filler dispersion with the assistance of ultrasound. The solubility of the solvent in the flexible polymer and ultrasonic field are key to the preparation of the conductive layer. This method has the advantages of fast preparation and robustness of the conductive layer and can be applied to thermoplastic polymers of different polarities as well as different types of conductive fillers. Based on this method, a flexible strain sensor with a robust carbon black conductive layer on the styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer was prepared in as short as 2 s. The advantages of a broad strain detection range (0.1% to 400%) and robust cyclability of the sensors were exhibited. The sensors can be used for human motion monitoring as well as solvent detection.

     

Fabrication and characterization of recyclable carbon nanotube/polyvinyl butyral composite fiber

A surface-draw method to fabricate recyclable carbon nanotube/polyvinyl butyral (CNT/PVB) composite fibers is reported. This method is effective for both single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and multi-walled carbon nanotube. The CNT mass content of CNT/PVB composite fibers can vary from 0 to 80 wt.%, which is higher than most CNT/polymer composites reported to date. The diameter of the composite fibers can be controlled in the range of 10-100 μm, with essentially unlimited draw length. The composite fibers with 7.4 wt.% SWCNTs showed optimal tensile properties. Compared with pure PVB fibers, the tensile strength, failure strain, and elastic modulus of the composite fiber have improved about 127%, 27%, and 73%, respectively. In addition, SWCNT/PVB composites with 66.7 wt.% SWCNTs have the highest conductivity of 42.9 S m⁻¹. More importantly, the major benefit is the “greenness” of the method, which involves environment friendly ethanol-water solvent with no functionalization of the nanotube required, and only simple apparatus are needed. The CNT/PVB composite fibers obtained can be dissolved in ethanol solution and reformed with the surface draw method without any additional treatment; and the material properties after recycle is comparable to those fabricated in the first round.     

Large-scale fabrication and electrical properties of an anisotropic conductive polymer composite utilizing preferable location of carbon nanotubes in a polymer blend

An anisotropically conductive polymer composite (ACPC) based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polycarbonate (PC)/polyethylene (PE) blend was fabricated via a slit die extrusion-hot stretch process. Under the influence of the shear flow and hot stretch, the PC phase is in situ deformed into aligned conductive fibrils in the PE matrix, whose surface region holds the majority of CNTs. When the stretch ratio rises to a certain level, the resistivity of the ACPC shows a strong anisotropy of three orders of magnitude difference between the perpendicular and parallel stretch directions. The fibrillar ACPC shows a weak positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect, and two-process negative temperature coefficient (NTC) effect caused by the reorganization of PC fibrils below but near 230 °C, and the transformation from anisotropy to isotropy beyond 230 °C. The obtained ACPC allows it to have such potential applications as switch and sensor materials.     

Single-walled carbon nanotubes modified carbon ionic liquid electrode for sensitive electrochemical detection of rutin

The single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) modified carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) was designed and further used for the voltammetric detection of rutin in this paper. CILE was prepared by mixing graphite powder with ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate and liquid paraffin together. Based on the interaction of SWCNTs with IL present on the electrode surface, a stable SWCNTs film was formed on the CILE to get a modified electrode denoted as SWCNTs/CILE. The characteristics of SWCNTs/CILE were recorded by different methods including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical behaviors of rutin on the SWCNTs/CILE were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. Due to the specific interface provided by the SWCNTs-IL film, the electrochemical response of rutin was greatly enhanced with a pair of well-defined redox peaks appeared in pH 2.5 phosphate buffer solution. The oxidation peak currents showed good linear relationship with the rutin concentration in the range from 1.0 × 10^− 7 to 8.0 × 10^− 4 mol/L with the detection limit as 7.0 × 10^− 8 mol/L (3σ). The SWCNTs/CILE showed the advantages such as excellent selectivity, improved performance, good stability and it was further applied to the rutin tablets sample detection with satisfactory results.     

Thermal characterization of screen printed conductive pastes for RFID antennas

Thermal resistance is an essential aspect of electronic circuits designing. It leads to unexpected changes in electronic components during their work. In this study, new materials for screen printed RFID tag's antennas were characterized in terms of their resistance to thermal exposure. Polymer materials containing silver flakes, silver nanopowder, carbon nanotubes or conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS were elaborated and used for antenna printing on flexible materials. In order to verify their long term susceptibility to damages caused by the changing environmental conditions, the temperature cycling test was used in three different temperature ranges: +65 °C, −12 °C, −40 °C/+85 °C (3 h in each temp., dwell time 1 h). The highest durability to thermal exposure exhibited the paste with carbon nanotubes dispersed in poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA and the lowest one – the paste with conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS.     

Cement-based sensors with carbon fibers and carbon nanotubes for piezoresistive sensing

Electrically conductive cementitious composites carrying carbon fibers and carbon nanotubes were developed and their ability to sense an applied compressive load through a measureable change in resistivity was investigated. Two types of cement-based sensors, one with carbon fibers alone and the other carrying a hybrid of both fibers and nanotubes, were considered. Direct comparisons were also made with traditional strain gauges mounted on the sensor specimens.Sensing experiments indicate that under cyclic loading, the changes in resistivity mimic both the changes in the applied load and the measured material strain with high fidelity for both sensor types. The response, however, is nonlinear and rate dependent. At an arbitrary loading rate, the hybrid sensor, containing a combination carbon fibers and nanotubes, produced the best results with better repeatability.     

Noncovalent functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with amphiphilic polymers containing pyrene pendants

A novel noncovalent approach was developed for the functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) using an amphiphilic copolymer of PVP-co-PAH containing pyrene pendants. A homogeneous polymer layer was formed on the surface of MWNTs, and the wrapped copolymer layer with a thickness of about 17.7 nm was found. The noncovalent modified MWNTs were dispersed very well in solvent of dimethylformamide (DMF), water and chloroform (CHCl₃), and the high stability of dispersed suspensions could be maintained for more than 2 months without observed MWNT precipitation. In addition, the dispersing behavior of the noncovalent functionalized MWNTs by PVP-co-PAH in a solvent mixture of water/CHCl₃ was also investigated, and it was found that a carbon nanotube layer was formed at the water/CHCl₃ interface.     

Application of fly ash as a catalyst for synthesis of carbon nanotube ribbons

The larger diameter-based carbon nanotube (CNT) ropes and ribbons are currently synthesized by catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons with transition metal-based catalysts e.g., Co, Ni, Fe and Mo at 1100-1200 °C, using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and electric arc methods. We produced CNT ribbons by fly ash (FA) catalyzed pyrolysis of a composite film of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with FA at 500 °C for 10 min under a nitrogen flow of 2 L/min. Different geometrical structures, e.g.; knotted and twisted, U- and spiral-shaped CNT ribbons were observed in the images of scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The widths of the CNT ribbons measured varied in the ranges 18-80 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed five types of carbon binding peaks, C-C/C-H (∼77%), C-O-H (∼9%), -C-O-C (∼5%), CO (∼5%) and -O-CO (∼3%). The ratio of intensities of G and D bands, IG/ID was 1.61 analysed by Raman Spectroscopy. CNT ribbons grown on the surface of FA have potential for the fabrication of high-strength composite materials with polymer and metal.     

Effect of titanium on copper–titanium/carbon nanofibre composite materials

Copper/carbon nanofibre composites containing titanium varying from 0.3 wt.% to 5 wt.% were made, and their thermal conductivities measured using the laser flash technique. The measured thermal conductivities were much lower than predicted. The difference between measured and predicted values has often been attributed to limited heat flow across the interface. A study has been made of the composite microstructure using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is shown in these materials, that the low composite thermal conductivity arises primarily because the highly graphitic carbon nanofibre structure transforms into amorphous carbon during the fabrication process.