Reconstruction of TiO2/MnO2-C nanotube/nanoflake core/shell arrays as high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.

PubMed

Xiong, Qinqin; Zheng, Cun; Chi, Hongzhong; Zhang, Jun; Ji, Zhenguo

2017-02-03

Construction of electrodes with fast reaction kinetics is of great importance for achieving advanced supercapacitors. Herein we report a facile combined synthetic strategy with atomic layer deposition (ALD) and electrodeposition to rationally fabricate nanotube/nanoflake core/shell arrays. ALD-TiO 2 nanotubes are used as the skeleton core for assembly of electrodeposited MnO 2 -C nanoflake shells forming a core/shell structure. Highly porous architecture and good electrical conductivity are combined in this unique core/shell structure, resulting in fast ion/electron transfer. In tests of electrochemical performance, the TiO 2 /MnO 2 -C core/shell arrays are characterized as cathode for asymmetric supecapacitors and exhibit high specific capacitance (880 F g -1 at 2.5 A g -1 ), excellent rate properties (735 F g -1 at 30 A g -1 ) and good long-term cycling stability (94.3% capacitance retention after 20 000 cycles). The proposed electrode construction strategy is favorable for fabrication of other advanced supercapacitor electrodes.

Fabrication of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube or Zinc Oxide Nanorod Arrays for Optical Diffraction Gratings.

PubMed

Kim, Jeong; Kim, Sun Il; Cho, Seong-Ho; Hwang, Sungwoo; Lee, Young Hee; Hur, Jaehyun

2015-11-01

We report on new fabrication methods for a transparent, hierarchical, and patterned electrode comprised of either carbon nanotubes or zinc oxide nanorods. Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes or zinc oxide nanorod arrays were fabricated by either chemical vapor deposition or hydrothermal growth, in combination with photolithography. A transparent conductive graphene layer or zinc oxide seed layer was employed as the transparent electrode. On the patterned surface defined using photoresist, the vertically grown carbon nanotubes or zinc oxides could produce a concentrated electric field under applied DC voltage. This periodic electric field was used to align liquid crystal molecules in localized areas within the optical cell, effectively modulating the refractive index. Depending on the material and morphology of these patterned electrodes, the diffraction efficiency presented different behavior. From this study, we established the relationship between the hierarchical structure of the different electrodes and their efficiency for modulating the refractive index. We believe that this study will pave a new path for future optoelectronic applications.

Structure and dye-sensitized solar cell application of TiO2 nanotube arrays fabricated by the anodic oxidation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ok, Seon-Yeong; Cho, Kwon-Koo; Kim, Ki-Won; Ryu, Kwang-Sun

2010-05-01

Well-ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated by the potentiostatic anodic oxidation method using pure Ti foil as a working electrode and ethylene glycol solution as an electrolyte with the small addition of NH4F and H2O. The influence of anodization temperature and time on the morphology and formation of TiO2 nanotube arrays was examined. The TiO2 nanotube arrays were applied as a photoelectrode to dye-sensitized solar cells. Regardless of anodizing temperature and time, the average diameter and wall thickness of TiO2 nanotube arrays show a similar value, whereas the length increases with decreasing reaction temperature. The conversion efficiency is very low, which is due to a morphology breaking of the TiO2 nanotube arrays in the manufacturing process of a photoelectrode.

Highly efficient biosensors by using well-ordered ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanotube arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarish, Samar; Xu, Yang; Wang, Zhijie; Mate, Faten; Al-Haddad, Ahmed; Wang, Wenxin; Lei, Yong

2017-10-01

We have studied the fabrication of highly efficient glucose sensors using well-ordered heterogeneous ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanotube arrays (CSNAs). The modified electrodes exhibit a superior electrochemical response towards ferrocyanide/ferricyanide and in glucose sensing. Further, the fabricated glucose biosensor exhibited good performance over an acceptable linear range from 2.39 × 10-5 to 2.66 × 10-4 mM, with a sensitivity of 188.34 mA mM-1 cm-2, which is higher than that of the ZnO nanotube array counterpart. A low limit of detection was realized (24 μM), which is good compared with electrodes based on conventional structures. In addition, the enhanced direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase indicates the fast electron transfer of ZnO/ZnS CSNA electrodes, with a heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (K s) of 1.69 s-1. The fast electron transfer is attributed to the high conductivity of the modified electrodes. The presented ZnS shell can facilitate the construction of future sensors and enhance the ZnO surface in a biological environment.

Electrochemical biosensor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA detection based on gold nanotubes array electrode platform.

PubMed

Torati, Sri Ramulu; Reddy, Venu; Yoon, Seok Soo; Kim, CheolGi

2016-04-15

The template assisted electrochemical deposition technique was used for the synthesis of gold nanotubes array (AuNTsA). The morphological structure of the synthesized AuNTsA was observed by scanning electron microscopy and found that the individual nanotubes are around 1.5 μm in length with a diameter of 200 nm. Nanotubes are vertically aligned to the Au thick film, which is formed during the synthesis process of nanotubes. The electrochemical performance of the AuNTsA was compared with the bare Au electrode and found that AuNTsA has better electron transfer surface than bare Au electrode which is due to the high surface area. Hence, the AuNTsA was used as an electrode for the fabrication of DNA hybridization biosensor for detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis DNA. The DNA hybridization biosensor constructed by AuNTsA electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry technique with Fe(CN)6(3-/4-) as an electrochemical redox indicator. The selectivity of the fabricated biosensor was illustrated by hybridization with complementary DNA and non-complementary DNA with probe DNA immobilized AuNTsA electrode using methylene blue as a hybridization indicator. The developed electrochemical DNA biosensor shows good linear range of complementary DNA concentration from 0.01 ng/μL to 100 ng/μL with high detection limit. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cobalt-Doped Black TiO2 Nanotube Array as a Stable Anode for Oxygen Evolution and Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Kao, Li Cheng; Liu, Yuanyue; Sun, Ke; Yu, Hongtao; Guo, Jinghua; Liou, Sofia Ya Hsuan; Hoffmann, Michael R

2018-05-04

TiO 2 has long been recognized as a stable and reusable photocatalyst for water splitting and pollution control. However, it is an inefficient anode material in the absence of photoactivation due to its low electron conductivity. To overcome this limitation, a series of conductive TiO 2 nanotube array electrodes have been developed. Even though nanotube arrays are effective for electrochemical oxidation initially, deactivation is often observed within a few hours. To overcome the problem of deactivation, we have synthesized cobalt-doped Black-TiO 2 nanotube array (Co-Black NTA) electrodes that are stable for more than 200 h of continuous operation in a NaClO 4 electrolyte at 10 mA cm -2 . Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and DFT simulations, we are able to show that bulk oxygen vacancies (O v ) are the primary source of the enhanced conductivity of Co-Black. Cobalt doping both creates and stabilizes surficial oxygen vacancies, O v , and thus prevents surface passivation. The Co-Black electrodes outperform dimensionally stable IrO 2 anodes (DSA) in the electrolytic oxidation of organic-rich wastewater. Increasing the loading of Co leads to the formation of a CoO x film on top of Co-Black electrode. The CoO x /Co-Black composite electrode was found to have a lower OER overpotential (352 mV) in comparison to a DSA IrO 2 (434 mV) electrode and a stability that is greater than 200 h in a 1.0 M KOH electrolyte at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 .

Cobalt-Doped Black TiO2 Nanotube Array as a Stable Anode for Oxygen Evolution and Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

TiO2 has long been recognized as a stable and reusable photocatalyst for water splitting and pollution control. However, it is an inefficient anode material in the absence of photoactivation due to its low electron conductivity. To overcome this limitation, a series of conductive TiO2 nanotube array electrodes have been developed. Even though nanotube arrays are effective for electrochemical oxidation initially, deactivation is often observed within a few hours. To overcome the problem of deactivation, we have synthesized cobalt-doped Black-TiO2 nanotube array (Co-Black NTA) electrodes that are stable for more than 200 h of continuous operation in a NaClO4 electrolyte at 10 mA cm–2. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and DFT simulations, we are able to show that bulk oxygen vacancies (Ov) are the primary source of the enhanced conductivity of Co-Black. Cobalt doping both creates and stabilizes surficial oxygen vacancies, Ov, and thus prevents surface passivation. The Co-Black electrodes outperform dimensionally stable IrO2 anodes (DSA) in the electrolytic oxidation of organic-rich wastewater. Increasing the loading of Co leads to the formation of a CoOx film on top of Co-Black electrode. The CoOx/Co-Black composite electrode was found to have a lower OER overpotential (352 mV) in comparison to a DSA IrO2 (434 mV) electrode and a stability that is greater than 200 h in a 1.0 M KOH electrolyte at a current density of 10 mA cm–2. PMID:29755829

Carbon Nanotube Biosensors for Space Molecule Detection and Clinical Molecular Diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, Jie

2001-01-01

Both space molecule detection and clinical molecule diagnostics need to develop ultra sensitive biosensors for detection of less than attomole molecules such as amino acids for DNA. However all the electrode sensor systems including those fabricated from the existing carbon nanotubes, have a background level of nA (nanoAmp). This has limited DNA or other molecule detection to nA level or molecules whose concentration is, much higher than attomole level. A program has been created by NASA and NCI (National Cancer Institute) to exploit the possibility of carbon nanotube based biosensors to solve this problem for both's interest. In this talk, I will present our effort on the evaluation and novel design of carbon nanotubes as electrode biosensors with strategies to minimize background currents while maximizing signal intensity.The fabrication of nanotube electrode arrays, immobilization of molecular probes on nanotube electrodes and in vitro biosensor testing will also be discussed.

Robust myoelectric signal detection based on stochastic resonance using multiple-surface-electrode array made of carbon nanotube composite paper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirata, Kento; Inden, Yuki; Kasai, Seiya; Oya, Takahide; Hagiwara, Yosuke; Kaeriyama, Shunichi; Nakamura, Hideyuki

2016-04-01

We investigated the robust detection of surface electromyogram (EMG) signals based on the stochastic resonance (SR) phenomenon, in which the response to weak signals is optimized by adding noise, combined with multiple surface electrodes. Flexible carbon nanotube composite paper (CNT-cp) was applied to the surface electrode, which showed good performance that is comparable to that of conventional Ag/AgCl electrodes. The SR-based EMG signal system integrating an 8-Schmitt-trigger network and the multiple-CNT-cp-electrode array successfully detected weak EMG signals even when the subject’s body is in the motion, which was difficult to achieve using the conventional technique. The feasibility of the SR-based EMG detection technique was confirmed by demonstrating its applicability to robot hand control.

Amorphous and crystalline TiO2 nanotube arrays for enhanced Li-ion intercalation properties.

PubMed

Guan, Dongsheng; Cai, Chuan; Wang, Ying

2011-04-01

We have employed a simple process of anodizing Ti foils to prepare TiO2 nanotube arrays which show enhanced electrochemical properties for applications as Li-ion battery electrode materials. The lengths and pore diameters of TiO2 nanotubes can be finely tuned by varying voltage, electrolyte composition, or anodization time. The as-prepared nanotubes are amorphous and can be converted into anatase nanotubes with heat treatment at 480 degrees C. Rutile crystallites emerge in the anatase nanotube when the annealing temperature is increased to 580 degrees C, resulting in TiO2 nanotubes of mixed phases. The morphological features of nanotubes remain unchanged after annealing. Li-ion insertion performance has been studied for amorphous and crystalline TiO2 nanotube arrays. Amorphous nanotubes with a length of 3.0 microm and an outer diameter of 125 nm deliver a capacity of 91.2 microA h cm(-2) at a current density of 400 microA cm(-2), while those with a length of 25 microm and an outer diameter of 158 nm display a capacity of 533 microA h cm-2. When the 3-microm long nanotubes become crystalline, they deliver lower capacities: the anatase nanotubes and nanotubes of mixed phases show capacities of 53.8 microA h cm-2 and 63.1 microA h cm(-2), respectively at the same current density. The amorphous nanotubes show excellent capacity retention ability over 50 cycles. The cycled nanotubes show little change in morphology compared to the nanotubes before electrochemical cycling. All the TiO2 nanotubes demonstrate higher capacities than amorphous TiO2 compact layer reported in literature. The amorphous TiO2 nanotubes with a length of 1.9 microm exhibit a capacity five times higher than that of TiO2 compact layer even when the nanotube array is cycled at a current density 80 times higher than that for the compact layer. These results suggest that anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays are promising electrode materials for rechargeable Li-ion batteries.

Density controlled carbon nanotube array electrodes

DOEpatents

Ren, Zhifeng F [Newton, MA; Tu, Yi [Belmont, MA

2008-12-16

CNT materials comprising aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with pre-determined site densities, catalyst substrate materials for obtaining them and methods for forming aligned CNTs with controllable densities on such catalyst substrate materials are described. The fabrication of films comprising site-density controlled vertically aligned CNT arrays of the invention with variable field emission characteristics, whereby the field emission properties of the films are controlled by independently varying the length of CNTs in the aligned array within the film or by independently varying inter-tubule spacing of the CNTs within the array (site density) are disclosed. The fabrication of microelectrode arrays (MEAs) formed utilizing the carbon nanotube material of the invention is also described.

Fabrication of Gate-Electrode Integrated Carbon-Nanotube Bundle Field Emitters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toda, Risaku; Bronikowski, Michael; Luong, Edward; Manohara, Harish

2008-01-01

A continuing effort to develop carbon-nanotube-based field emitters (cold cathodes) as high-current-density electron sources has yielded an optimized device design and a fabrication scheme to implement the design. One major element of the device design is to use a planar array of bundles of carbon nanotubes as the field-emission tips and to optimize the critical dimensions of the array (principally, heights of bundles and distances between them) to obtain high area-averaged current density and high reliability over a long operational lifetime a concept that was discussed in more detail in Arrays of Bundles of Carbon Nanotubes as Field Emitters (NPO-40817), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 2 (February 2007), page 58. Another major element of the design is to configure the gate electrodes (anodes used to extract, accelerate, and/or focus electrons) as a ring that overhangs a recess wherein the bundles of nanotubes are located, such that by virtue of the proximity between the ring and the bundles, a relatively low applied potential suffices to generate the large electric field needed for emission of electrons.

A three-dimensional microelectrode array composed of vertically aligned ultra-dense carbon nanotube networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nick, C.; Yadav, S.; Joshi, R.; Schneider, J. J.; Thielemann, C.

2015-07-01

Electrodes based on carbon nanotubes are a promising approach to manufacture highly sensitive sensors with a low limit of signal detection and a high signal-to-noise ratio. This is achieved by dramatically increasing the electrochemical active surface area without increasing the overall geometrical dimensions. Typically, carbon nanotube electrodes are nearly planar and composed of randomly distributed carbon nanotube networks having a limited surface gain for a specific geometrical surface area. To overcome this limitation, we have introduced vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) networks as electrodes, which are arranged in a microelectrode pattern of 60 single electrodes. Each microelectrode features a very high aspect ratio of more than 300 and thus a dramatically increased surface area. These microelectrodes composed of VACNT networks display dramatically decreased impedance over the entire frequency range compared to planar microelectrodes caused by the enormous capacity increase. This is experimentally verified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry.

Performance assessments of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes multi-electrode arrays using Cath.a-differentiated (CAD) cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Du Won; Jung, Jongjin; Kim, Gook Hwa; Yang, Cheol-Soo; Kim, Ju Jin; Jung, Sang Don; Lee, Jeong-O.

2015-08-01

In this work, Cath.a-differentiated (CAD) cells were used in place of primary neuronal cells to assess the performance of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) multi-electrode arrays (MEA). To fabricate high-performance MEA, VACNTs were directly grown on graphene/Pt electrodes via plasma enhanced chemical deposition technique. Here, graphene served as an intermediate layer lowering contact resistance between VACNTs and Pt electrode. In order to lower the electrode impedance and to enhance the cell adhesion, VACNTs-MEAs were treated with UV-ozone for 20 min. Impedance of VACNTs electrode at 1 kHz frequency exhibits a reasonable value (110 kΩ) for extracellular signal recording, and the signal to noise ratio the is good enough to measure low signal amplitude (15.7). Spontaneous firing events from CAD cells were successfully measured with VACNTs MEAs that were also found to be surprisingly robust toward the biological interactions.

Performance assessments of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes multi-electrode arrays using Cath.a-differentiated (CAD) cells.

PubMed

Jeong, Du Won; Jung, Jongjin; Kim, Gook Hwa; Yang, Cheol-Soo; Kim, Ju Jin; Jung, Sang Don; Lee, Jeong-O

2015-08-21

In this work, Cath.a-differentiated (CAD) cells were used in place of primary neuronal cells to assess the performance of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) multi-electrode arrays (MEA). To fabricate high-performance MEA, VACNTs were directly grown on graphene/Pt electrodes via plasma enhanced chemical deposition technique. Here, graphene served as an intermediate layer lowering contact resistance between VACNTs and Pt electrode. In order to lower the electrode impedance and to enhance the cell adhesion, VACNTs-MEAs were treated with UV-ozone for 20 min. Impedance of VACNTs electrode at 1 kHz frequency exhibits a reasonable value (110 kΩ) for extracellular signal recording, and the signal to noise ratio the is good enough to measure low signal amplitude (15.7). Spontaneous firing events from CAD cells were successfully measured with VACNTs MEAs that were also found to be surprisingly robust toward the biological interactions.

Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO sandwich-structured nanotube arrays with special surface and synergistic effects as high-performance positive electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Han; Zhang, Chi; Zhou, Wen; Li, Gao-Ren

2015-10-01

High power density, high energy density and excellent cycling stability are the main requirements for high-performance supercapacitors (SCs) that will be widely used for portable consumer electronics and hybrid electric vehicles. Here we investigate novel types of hybrid Co(OH)2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/NiO sandwich-structured nanotube arrays (SNTAs) as positive electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). The synthesized Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO SNTAs exhibit a significantly improved specific capacity (~1470 F g-1 at 5 mV s-1) and excellent cycling stability with ~98% Csp retention after 10 000 cycles because of the fast transport and short diffusion paths for electroactive species, the high utilization rate of electrode materials, and special synergistic effects among Co(OH)2, RGO, and NiO. The high-performance ASCs are assembled using Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO SNTAs as positive electrodes and active carbon (AC) as negative electrodes, and they exhibit a high energy density (115 Wh kg-1), a high power density (27.5 kW kg-1) and an excellent cycling stability (less 5% Csp loss after 10 000 cycles). This study shows an important breakthrough in the design and fabrication of multi-walled hybrid nanotube arrays as positive electrodes for ASCs.High power density, high energy density and excellent cycling stability are the main requirements for high-performance supercapacitors (SCs) that will be widely used for portable consumer electronics and hybrid electric vehicles. Here we investigate novel types of hybrid Co(OH)2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/NiO sandwich-structured nanotube arrays (SNTAs) as positive electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). The synthesized Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO SNTAs exhibit a significantly improved specific capacity (~1470 F g-1 at 5 mV s-1) and excellent cycling stability with ~98% Csp retention after 10 000 cycles because of the fast transport and short diffusion paths for electroactive species, the high utilization rate of electrode materials, and special synergistic effects among Co(OH)2, RGO, and NiO. The high-performance ASCs are assembled using Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO SNTAs as positive electrodes and active carbon (AC) as negative electrodes, and they exhibit a high energy density (115 Wh kg-1), a high power density (27.5 kW kg-1) and an excellent cycling stability (less 5% Csp loss after 10 000 cycles). This study shows an important breakthrough in the design and fabrication of multi-walled hybrid nanotube arrays as positive electrodes for ASCs. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: SEM images, XPS spectra, equivalent circuit, and CVs. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04449a

Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO sandwich-structured nanotube arrays with special surface and synergistic effects as high-performance positive electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitors.

PubMed

Xu, Han; Zhang, Chi; Zhou, Wen; Li, Gao-Ren

2015-10-28

High power density, high energy density and excellent cycling stability are the main requirements for high-performance supercapacitors (SCs) that will be widely used for portable consumer electronics and hybrid electric vehicles. Here we investigate novel types of hybrid Co(OH)2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/NiO sandwich-structured nanotube arrays (SNTAs) as positive electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). The synthesized Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO SNTAs exhibit a significantly improved specific capacity (∼1470 F g(-1) at 5 mV s(-1)) and excellent cycling stability with ∼98% Csp retention after 10 000 cycles because of the fast transport and short diffusion paths for electroactive species, the high utilization rate of electrode materials, and special synergistic effects among Co(OH)2, RGO, and NiO. The high-performance ASCs are assembled using Co(OH)2/RGO/NiO SNTAs as positive electrodes and active carbon (AC) as negative electrodes, and they exhibit a high energy density (115 Wh kg(-1)), a high power density (27.5 kW kg(-1)) and an excellent cycling stability (less 5% Csp loss after 10 000 cycles). This study shows an important breakthrough in the design and fabrication of multi-walled hybrid nanotube arrays as positive electrodes for ASCs.

Graphene quantum dots-carbon nanotube hybrid arrays for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yue; Zhao, Yang; Lu, Gewu; Chen, Nan; Zhang, Zhipan; Li, Hui; Shao, Huibo; Qu, Liangti

2013-05-01

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been successfully deposited onto aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by a benign electrochemical method and the capacitive properties of the as-formed GQD/CNT hybrid arrays were evaluated in symmetrical supercapacitors. It was found that supercapacitors fabricated from GQD/CNT hybrid arrays exhibited a high capacitance of 44 mF cm-2, representing a more than 200% improvement over that of bare CNT electrodes.

Graphene quantum dots-carbon nanotube hybrid arrays for supercapacitors.

PubMed

Hu, Yue; Zhao, Yang; Lu, Gewu; Chen, Nan; Zhang, Zhipan; Li, Hui; Shao, Huibo; Qu, Liangti

2013-05-17

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been successfully deposited onto aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by a benign electrochemical method and the capacitive properties of the as-formed GQD/CNT hybrid arrays were evaluated in symmetrical supercapacitors. It was found that supercapacitors fabricated from GQD/CNT hybrid arrays exhibited a high capacitance of 44 mF cm(-2), representing a more than 200% improvement over that of bare CNT electrodes.

One-step electrodeposition of Co0·12Ni1·88S2@Co8S9 nanoparticles on highly conductive TiO2 nanotube arrays for battery-type electrodes with enhanced energy storage performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Cuiping; Wang, Yan; Zhang, Jianfang; Yang, Wanfen; Shu, Xia; Qin, Yongqiang; Cui, Jiewu; Zheng, Hongmei; Zhang, Yong; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Wu, Yucheng

2017-10-01

High-performance battery-type electrodes based on TiO2 nanotube arrays decorated with Co0·12Ni1·88S2@Co8S9 (CNCS) nanoparticles have been successfully prepared in this paper. The highly conductive TiO2 nanotube arrays modified with carbon and oxygen vacancies (Ti3+ defects) (m-TNAs) are selected as the three-dimensional backbones to support electroactive materials and offer direct pathways for electron and ions transport. Then CNCS nanoparticles are electrodeposited on each nanotube uniformly, and the loading mass of nanoparticles can be controlled through adjusting electrodeposition cycles. After optimization, a remarkable specific capacity of 680.1 C g-1 is achieved at 2 A g -1 as a result of the intrinsic synergetic contributions from structural/compositional/componental merits. This specific capacity is much higher than most of the TNAs-based energy storage electrodes. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor device is assembled by applying the optimized CNCS/m-TNAs and commercial active carbon as positive and negative electrode, respectively. It displays a high energy density of 45.5 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 400.5 W kg-1, after cycling for 3000 cycles at a high current density of 4 A g-1, the specific capacitance could still remain 85.7%. This self-supported and binder-free CNCS/m-TNAs electrode will be a competitive and promising candidate for the application in energy storage.

Carbon nanotubes based methanol sensor for fuel cells application.

PubMed

Kim, D W; Lee, J S; Lee, G S; Overzet, L; Kozlov, M; Aliev, A E; Park, Y W; Yang, D J

2006-11-01

An electrochemical sensor is built using vertically grown multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) micro-array to detect methanol concentration in water. This study is done for the potential use of the array as methanol sensor for portable units of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles electro-deposited CNTs (Pt/CNTs) electrode shows high sensitivity in the measurement of methanol concentration in water with cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement at room temperature. Further investigation has also been undertaken to measure the concentration by changing the amount of the mixture of methanol and formic acid in water. We compared the performance of our micro array sensor built with Pt/CNTs electrodes versus that of Pt wire electrode using CV measurement. We found that our Pt/CNTs array sensor shows high sensitivity and detects methanol concentrations in the range of 0.04 M to 0.10 M. In addition, we found that co-use of formic acid as electrolyte enables us to measure up to 1.0 M methanol concentration.

Vertically Aligned Co9 S8 Nanotube Arrays onto Graphene Papers as High-Performance Flexible Electrodes for Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Xiong, Dongbin; Li, Xifei; Bai, Zhimin; Li, Jianwei; Han, Yan; Li, Dejun

2018-02-16

Paper-like electrodes are emerging as a new category of advanced electrodes for flexible supercapacitors (SCs). Graphene, a promising two-dimensional material with high conductivity, can be easily processed into papers. Here, we report a rational design of flexible architecture with Co 9 S 8 nanotube arrays (NAs) grown onto graphene paper (GP) via a facile two-step hydrothermal method. When employed as flexible free-standing electrode for SCs, the proposed architectured Co 9 S 8 /GPs exhibits superior electrochemical performance with ultrahigh capacitance and outstanding rate capability (469 F g -1 at 10 A g -1 ). These results demonstrate that the new nanostructured Co 9 S 8 /GPs can be potentially applied in high performance flexible supercapacitors. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pd-MnO2 nanoparticles/TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) photo-electrodes photo-catalytic properties and their ability of degrading Rhodamine B under visible light.

PubMed

Thabit, Mohamed; Liu, Huiling; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Bing

2017-10-01

Pd-MnO 2 /TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) photo-electrodes were successfully fabricated via anodization and electro deposition subsequently; the obtained Pd-MnO 2 /TiO 2 NTAs photo electrodes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and characterized accordingly. Moreover, the light harvesting and absorption properties were investigated via ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS); photo degradation efficiency was investigated via analyzing the photo catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under visible illumination (xenon light). The performed analyses illustrated that Pd-MnO 2 codoped particles were successfully deposited onto the surface of the TiO 2 nanotube arrays; DRS results showed significant improvement in visible light absorption which was between 400 and 700nm. Finally, the photo catalytic degradation efficiency results of the designated organic pollutant (Rhodamine B) illustrated a superior photocatalytic (PC) efficiency of approximately 95% compared to the bare TiO 2 NTAs, which only exhibited a photo catalytic degradation efficiency of approximately 61%, thus it indicated the significant enhancement of the light absorption properties of fabricated photo electrodes and their yield of OH radicals. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ni nanotube array-based electrodes by electrochemical alloying and de-alloying for efficient water splitting.

PubMed

Teng, Xue; Wang, Jianying; Ji, Lvlv; Lv, Yaokang; Chen, Zuofeng

2018-05-17

The design of cost-efficient earth-abundant catalysts with superior performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is extremely important for future renewable energy production. Herein, we report a facile strategy for constructing Ni nanotube arrays (NTAs) on a Ni foam (NF) substrate through cathodic deposition of NiCu alloy followed by anodic stripping of metallic Cu. Based on Ni NTAs, the as-prepared NiSe2 NTA electrode by NiSe2 electrodeposition and the NiFeOx NTA electrode by dipping in Fe3+ solution exhibit excellent HER and OER performance in alkaline conditions. In these systems, Ni NTAs act as a binder-free multifunctional inner layer to support the electrocatalysts, offer a large specific surface area and serve as a fast electron transport pathway. Moreover, an alkaline electrolyzer has been constructed using NiFeOx NTAs as the anode and NiSe2 NTAs as the cathode, which only demands a cell voltage of 1.78 V to deliver a water-splitting current density of 500 mA cm-2, and demonstrates remarkable stability during long-term electrolysis. This work provides an attractive method for the design and fabrication of nanotube array-based catalyst electrodes for highly efficient water-splitting.

Carbon Nanotube Tower-Based Supercapacitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyyappan, Meyya (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A supercapacitor system, including (i) first and second, spaced apart planar collectors, (ii) first and second arrays of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) towers or single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) towers, serving as electrodes, that extend between the first and second collectors where the nanotube towers are grown directly on the collector surfaces without deposition of a catalyst and without deposition of a binder material on the collector surfaces, and (iii) a porous separator module having a transverse area that is substantially the same as the transverse area of at least one electrode, where (iv) at least one nanotube tower is functionalized to permit or encourage the tower to behave as a hydrophilic structure, with increased surface wettability.

Carbon Nanotube Bundle Array Cold Cathodes for THz Vacuum Tube Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manohara, Harish M.; Toda, Risaku; Lin, Robert H.; Liao, Anna; Bronikowski, Michael J.; Siegel, Peter H.

2009-12-01

We present high performance cold cathodes composed of arrays of carbon nanotube bundles that routinely produce > 15 A/cm2 at applied fields of 5 to 8 V/µm without any beam focusing. They have exhibited robust operation in poor vacuums of 10-6 to 10-4 Torr- a typically achievable range inside hermetically sealed microcavities. A new double-SOI process was developed to monolithically integrate a gate and additional beam tailoring electrodes. The ability to design the electrodes for specific requirements makes carbon nanotube field emission sources extremely flexible. The lifetime of these cathodes is found to be affected by two effects: a gradual decay of emission due to anode sputtering, and catastrophic failure because of dislodging of CNT bundles at high fields ( > 10 V/µm).

In situ growth of NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays on Ni foam for supercapacitors: Maximizing utilization efficiency at high mass loading to achieve ultrahigh areal pseudocapacitance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Haichao; Jiang, Jianjun; Zhang, Li; Xia, Dandan; Zhao, Yuandong; Guo, Danqing; Qi, Tong; Wan, Houzhao

2014-05-01

Self-standing NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays have been in situ grown on Ni foam by the anion-exchange reaction and directly used as the electrode for supercapacitors. The NiCo2S4 nanotube in the arrays effectively reduces the inactive material and increases the electroactive surface area because of the ultrathin wall, which is quite competent to achieve high utilization efficiency at high electroactive materials mass loading. The NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays hybrid electrode exhibits an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 14.39 F cm-2 at 5 mA cm-2 with excellent rate performance (67.7% retention for current increases 30 times) and cycling stability (92% retention after 5000 cycles) at a high mass loading of 6 mg cm-2. High areal capacitance (4.68 F cm-2 at 10 mA cm-2), high energy density (31.5 Wh kg-1 at 156.6 W kg-1) and high power density (2348.5 W kg-1 at 16.6 Wh kg-1) can be achieved by assembling asymmetric supercapacitor with reduced graphene oxide at a total active material mass loading as high as 49.5 mg. This work demonstrates that NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays structure is a superior electroactive material for high-performance supercapacitors even at a mass loading of potential application-specific scale.

Direct electrodeposition of gold nanotube arrays of rough and porous wall by cyclic voltammetry and its applications of simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid and uric acid.

PubMed

Yang, Guangming; Li, Ling; Jiang, Jinhe; Yang, Yunhui

2012-08-01

Gold nanotube arrays of rough and porous wall has been synthesized by direct electrodeposition with cyclic voltammetry utilizing anodic aluminum oxide template (AAO) and polycarbonate membrane (PC) during short time (only 3 min and 2 min, respectively). The mechanism of the direct electrodeposition of gold nanotube arrays by cyclic voltammetry (CV) has been discussed. The morphological characterizations of the gold nanotube arrays have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was constructed by attaching gold nanotube arrays (using AAO) onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The electrochemical behavior of AA and UA at this modified electrode has been studied by CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The sensor offers an excellent response for AA and UA and the linear response range for AA and UA were 1.02×10(-7)-5.23×10(-4) mol L(-1) and 1.43×10(-7)-4.64×10(-4) mol L(-1), the detection limits were 1.12×10(-8) mol L(-1) and 2.24×10(-8) mol L(-1), respectively. This sensor shows good regeneration, stability and selectivity and has been used for the determination of AA and UA in real human urine and serum samples with satisfied results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High-performance gas sensors with temperature measurement

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yong; Li, Shengtao; Zhang, Jingyuan; Pan, Zhigang; Min, Daomin; Li, Xin; Song, Xiaoping; Liu, Junhua

2013-01-01

There are a number of gas ionization sensors using carbon nanotubes as cathode or anode. Unfortunately, their applications are greatly limited by their multi-valued sensitivity, one output value corresponding to several measured concentration values. Here we describe a triple-electrode structure featuring two electric fields with opposite directions, which enable us to overcome the multi-valued sensitivity problem at 1 atm in a wide range of gas concentrations. We used a carbon nanotube array as the first electrode, and the two electric fields between the upper and the lower interelectrode gaps were designed to extract positive ions generated in the upper gap, hence significantly reduced positive ion bombardment on the nanotube electrode, which allowed us to maintain a high electric field near the nanotube tips, leading to a single-valued sensitivity and a long nanotube life. We have demonstrated detection of various gases and simultaneously monitoring temperature, and a potential for applications. PMID:23405281

Fabrication of titanium dioxide nanotube arrays using organic electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoriya, Sorachon

This dissertation focuses on fabrication and improvement of morphological features of TiO2 nanotube arrays in the selected organic electrolytes including dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; see Chapter 4) and diethylene glycol (DEG; see Chapter 5). Using a polar dimethyl sulfoxide containing hydrofluoric acid, the vertically oriented TiO2 nanotube arrays with well controlled morphologies, i.e. tube lengths ranging from few microns up to 101 microm, pore diameters from 100 nm to 150 nm, and wall thicknesses from 15 nm to 50 nm were achieved. Various anodization variables including fluoride ion concentration, voltage, anodization time, water content, and reuse of the anodized electrolyte could be manipulated under proper conditions to control the nanotube array morphology. Anodization current behaviors associated with evolution of nanotube length were analyzed in order to clarify and better understand the formation mechanism of nanotubes grown in the organic electrolytes. Typically observed for DMSO electrolyte, the behavior that anodization current density gradually decreases with time is a reflection of a constant growth rate of nanotube arrays. Large fluctuation of anodization current was significantly observed probably due to the large change in electrolyte properties during anodization, when anodizing in high conductivity electrolytes such as using high HF concentration and reusing the anodized electrolyte as a second time. It is believed that the electrolyte properties such as conductivity and polarity play important role in affecting ion solvation and interactions in the solution consequently determining the formation of oxide film. Fabrication of the TiO2 nanotube array films was extended to study in the more viscous diethylene glycol (DEG) electrolyte. The arrayed nanotubes achieved from DEG electrolytes containing either HF or NH4 F are fully separated, freely self-standing structure with open pores and a wide variation of tube-to-tube spacing ranging from < 100 nm to ~2 microm. In comparison to DMSO electrolyte, the electrochemical anodization rates are relatively slower in DEG electrolyte; as a result, the nanotube length is typically less than 10 microm. Pore size of nanotubes grown in DEG has been extended from 150 nm up to approximately 400 nm. The approach to pore widening could be achieved by using a specific condition of low HF concentration and prolonged anodization time. The study of evolution of nanotubes grown in DEG electrolytes showed that a fibrous layer was formed in the early growth stages and then was chemically and gradually removed after a long duration, leaving behind the nanotubes with large pore size. In DEG electrolyte, the closer spacing between Ti and Pt electrodes resulted in the larger nanotube morphological parameters due to the enhanced electrode kinetics facilitating the electrode reactions. Furthermore, this dissertation showed possibilities to crystallize the titania nanotube array films at room temperature via anodization in either DMSO or DEG electrolytes. The partially crystallized films could be achieved specifically in the optimum slow growth process conditions. Due to partial crystallization of the as-anodized samples, the high temperature annealing study revealed that the temperatures of phase transformation are 260 ºC and 430°C for respectively amorphous to anatase and anatase to rutile, which are accounted as the lowest phase transformation temperatures reported to date (2010). Finally, the photoelectrochemical properties of the DMSO fabricated nanotubes were investigated. The maximum photocurrent density of ~ 11 mA cm--2 was achieved by using the 46-microm long nanotube array sample with completely open pores, and photoconversion efficiencies of 5.425 % (+/- 0.087) (under UV light) and 0.197 % (+/- 0.001) (under solar spectrum AM 1.5) have been demonstrated. Biomedical applications of the DEG fabricated nanotube arrays films such as blood clotting, hemocompatibility, and drug delivery were investigated. The titania nanotube arrays showed a significant platelet adhesion and activation, a higher viability, and a greater capability in blood clotting compared to a smooth Ti surface. In drug delivery application, the drug elution kinetics, behavior and diffusion of drug molecules were most profoundly affected by the nanotube architectures such as the pore packing density and the gap or separation between the tubes, the nanotube length, and especially the nanotube pore diameter. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Plasma Enhanced Growth of Carbon Nanotubes For Ultrasensitive Biosensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassell, Alan M.; Meyyappan, M.

2004-01-01

The multitude of considerations facing nanostructure growth and integration lends itself to combinatorial optimization approaches. Rapid optimization becomes even more important with wafer-scale growth and integration processes. Here we discuss methodology for developing plasma enhanced CVD growth techniques for achieving individual, vertically aligned carbon nanostructures that show excellent properties as ultrasensitive electrodes for nucleic acid detection. We utilize high throughput strategies for optimizing the upstream and downstream processing and integration of carbon nanotube electrodes as functional elements in various device types. An overview of ultrasensitive carbon nanotube based sensor arrays for electrochemical bio-sensing applications and the high throughput methodology utilized to combine novel electrode technology with conventional MEMS processing will be presented.

Plasma Enhanced Growth of Carbon Nanotubes For Ultrasensitive Biosensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cassell, Alan M.; Li, J.; Ye, Q.; Koehne, J.; Chen, H.; Meyyappan, M.

2004-01-01

The multitude of considerations facing nanostructure growth and integration lends itself to combinatorial optimization approaches. Rapid optimization becomes even more important with wafer-scale growth and integration processes. Here we discuss methodology for developing plasma enhanced CVD growth techniques for achieving individual, vertically aligned carbon nanostructures that show excellent properties as ultrasensitive electrodes for nucleic acid detection. We utilize high throughput strategies for optimizing the upstream and downstream processing and integration of carbon nanotube electrodes as functional elements in various device types. An overview of ultrasensitive carbon nanotube based sensor arrays for electrochemical biosensing applications and the high throughput methodology utilized to combine novel electrode technology with conventional MEMS processing will be presented.

All electrochemical process for synthesis of Si coating on TiO2 nanotubes as durable negative electrode material for lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemaga, Abirdu Woreka; Mallet, Jeremy; Michel, Jean; Guery, Claude; Molinari, Michael; Morcrette, Mathieu

2018-07-01

The development of high energy density Li-ion batteries requires to look for electrode materials with high capacity while keeping their stability upon cycling. In this study, amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film deposited on self-organized TiO2 nanotubes is investigated as negative electrode for Li-ion batteries. Nanostructured composite negative electrodes were fabricated by a two-step cost effective electrochemical process. Firstly, self-organized TiO2 nanotube arrays were synthesised by anodizing of Ti foil. Subsequently, thanks to the use of room temperature ionic liquid, conformal Si layer was electrodeposited on the TiO2 nanotubes to achieve the synthesis of nanostructured a-Si/TiO2 nanotube composite negative electrodes. The influence of the Si loading as well as the crystallinity of the TiO2 nanotubes have been studied in terms of capacity and cyclic stability. For an optimized a-Si loading, it is shown that the amorphous state for the TiO2 nanotubes enables to get stable lithiation and delithiation with a total areal charge capacity of about 0.32 mA h cm-2 with improved capacity retention of about 84% after 50 cycles, while a-Si on crystalline TiO2 nanotubes shows poor cyclic stability independently from the Si loading.

Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays as Efficient Supports for Faradaic Capacitive Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oguntoye, Moses; Holleran, Mary-Kate; Roberts, Katherine; Pesika, Noshir

Supercapacitors are notable for their ability to deliver energy at higher power (compared to batteries) and store energy at higher density (compared to capacitors) as well as exhibit a long cycle life. In our efforts to further the development of supercapacitors, our focus is on using vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT) as supports for faradaic capacitive electrode materials. The objective is to develop electrodes functioning in an inexpensive aqueous environment with small potential windows, that store energy at a higher density than carbon materials alone. We describe the different approaches explored to overcome the challenges of non-uniform deposition, poor wetting and array collapse. Materials that are electrochemically anchored to VACNT supports include NiCo2O4, VOx, Fe2O3 and Co-Mn mixed oxides. In each case, the specific capacitance obtained using the VACNT arrays as supports is significantly more than that obtained by direct deposition onto current collectors or by using VACNT alone. The ease of VACNT growth and the degree of coating control achievable using electrodeposition means there is much potential in exploring them as supports for capacitive electrode materials.

Construction of a Hierarchical NiCo2S4@PPy Core-Shell Heterostructure Nanotube Array on Ni Foam for a High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor.

PubMed

Yan, Minglei; Yao, Yadong; Wen, Jiqiu; Long, Lu; Kong, Menglai; Zhang, Guanggao; Liao, Xiaoming; Yin, Guangfu; Huang, Zhongbing

2016-09-21

In this paper, a hierarchical NiCo2S4@polypyrrole core-shell heterostructure nanotube array on Ni foam (NiCo2S4@PPy/NF) was successfully developed as a bind-free electrode for supercapacitors. NiCo2S4@PPy-50/NF obtained under 50 s PPy electrodeposition shows a low charge-transfer resistance (0.31 Ω) and a high area specific capacitance of 9.781 F/cm(2) at a current density of 5 mA/cm(2), which is two times higher than that of pristine NiCo2S4/NF (4.255 F/cm(2)). Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor was assembled using NiCo2S4@PPy-50/NF as positive electrode and activated carbon (AC) as negative electrode. The resulting NiCo2S4@PPy-50/NF//AC device exhibits a high energy density of 34.62 Wh/kg at a power density of 120.19 W/kg with good cycling performance (80.64% of the initial capacitance retention at 50 mA/cm(2) over 2500 cycles). The superior electrochemical performance can be attributed to the combined contribution of both component and unique core-shell heterostructure. The results demonstrate that the NiCo2S4@PPy-50 core-shell heterostructure nanotube array is promising as electrode material for supercapacitors in energy storage.

Exploring hierarchical FeS2/C composite nanotubes arrays as advanced cathode for lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, G. X.; Cao, F.; Xia, X. H.; Zhang, Y. J.

2016-11-01

Rational construction of advanced FeS2 cathode is one of research hotspots, and of great importance for developing high-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Herein we report a facile hydrolysis-sulfurization method for fabrication of FeS2/C nanotubes arrays with the help of sacrificial Co2(OH)2CO3 nanowires template and glucose carbonization. Self-supported FeS2/C nanotubes consist of interconnected nanoburrs of 5-20 nm, and show hierarchical porous structure. The FeS2/C nanotubes arrays are demonstrated with enhanced cycling life and noticeable high-rate capability with capacities ranging from 735 mAh g-1 at 0.25 C to 482 mAh g-1 at 1.5 C, superior to those FeS2 counterparts in the literature. The composite nanotubes arrays architecture plays positive roles in the electrochemical enhancement due to combined advantages of large electrode-electrolyte contact area, good strain accommodation, improved electrical conductivity, and enhanced structural stability.

Laser-induced forward transfer of single-walled carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palla-Papavlu, A.; Dinescu, M.; Wokaun, A.; Lippert, T.

2014-10-01

The objective of this work is the application of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) for the fabrication of chemiresistor sensors. The receiver substrate is an array with metal electrodes and the active materials placed by LIFT are single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). The functionality of such sensors depends on the geometry of the active material onto the metallic electrodes. First the best geometry for the sensing materials and electrodes was determined, including the optimization of the process parameters for printing uniform pixels of SWCNT onto the sensor electrodes. The sensors were characterized in terms of their sensing characteristics, i.e., upon exposure to ammonia, proving the feasibility of LIFT.

A Porous Perchlorate-Doped Polypyrrole Nanocoating on Nickel Nanotube Arrays for Stable Wide-Potential-Window Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Chen, Gao-Feng; Li, Xian-Xia; Zhang, Li-Yi; Li, Nan; Ma, Tian Yi; Liu, Zhao-Qing

2016-09-01

A bottom-up synthetic strategy is developed to fabricate a highly porous wave-superposed perchlorate-doped polypyrrole nanocoating on nickel nanotube arrays. The delicate nanostructure and the unique surface chemistry synergistically endow the obtained electrode with revealable pseudocapacitance, large operating potential window, and excellent cycling stability, which are highly promising for both asymmetric and symmetric supercapacitors. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Interfacial Engineered Polyaniline/Sulfur-Doped TiO2 Nanotube Arrays for Ultralong Cycle Lifetime Fiber-Shaped, Solid-State Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Li, Chun; Wang, Zhuanpei; Li, Shengwen; Cheng, Jianli; Zhang, Yanning; Zhou, Jingwen; Yang, Dan; Tong, Dong-Ge; Wang, Bin

2018-05-30

Fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSCs) have great promises in wearable electronics applications. However, the limited specific surface area and inadequate structural stability caused by the weak interfacial interactions of the electrodes result in relatively low specific capacitance and unsatisfactory cycle lifetime. Herein, solid-state FSCs with high energy density and ultralong cycle lifetime based on polyaniline (PANI)/sulfur-doped TiO 2 nanotube arrays (PANI/S-TiO 2 ) are fabricated by interfacial engineering. The experimental results and ab initio calculations reveal that S doping can effectively promote the conductivity of titania nanotubes and increase the binding energy of PANI anchored on the electrode surface, leading to a much stronger binding of PANI on the surface of the electrode and excellent electrode structure stability. As a result, the FSCs using the PANI/S-TiO 2 electrodes deliver a high specific capacitance of 91.9 mF cm -2 , a capacitance retention of 93.78% after 12 000 charge-discharge cycles, and an areal energy density of 3.2 μW h cm -2 . Meanwhile, the all-solid-state FSC device retains its excellent flexibility and stable electrochemical capacitance even after bending 150 cycles. The enhanced performances of FSCs could be attributed to the large surface area, reduced ion diffusion path, improved electrical conductivity, and engineered interfacial interaction of the rationally designed electrodes.

Systematic design of superaerophobic nanotube-array electrode comprised of transition-metal sulfides for overall water splitting.

PubMed

Li, Haoyi; Chen, Shuangming; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Qinghua; Jia, Xiaofan; Zhang, Qi; Gu, Lin; Sun, Xiaoming; Song, Li; Wang, Xun

2018-06-22

Great attention has been focused on the design of electrocatalysts to enable electrochemical water splitting-a technology that allows energy derived from renewable resources to be stored in readily accessible and non-polluting chemical fuels. Herein we report a bifunctional nanotube-array electrode for water splitting in alkaline electrolyte. The electrode requires the overpotentials of 58 mV and 184 mV for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions respectively, meanwhile maintaining remarkable long-term durability. The prominent performance is due to the systematic optimization of chemical composition and geometric structure principally-that is, abundant electrocatalytic active sites, excellent conductivity of metallic 1T' MoS 2 , synergistic effects among iron, cobalt, nickel ions, and the superaerophobicity of electrode surface for fast mass transfer. The electrode is also demonstrated to function as anode and cathode, simultaneously, delivering 10 mA cm -2 at a cell voltage of 1.429 V. Our results demonstrate substantial improvement in the design of high-efficiency electrodes for water electrolysis.

Oriented Polyaniline Nanowire Arrays Grown on Dendrimer (PAMAM) Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Supercapacitor Electrode Materials.

PubMed

Jin, Lin; Jiang, Yu; Zhang, Mengjie; Li, Honglong; Xiao, Linghan; Li, Ming; Ao, Yuhui

2018-04-19

At present, PANI/MWNT composites have been paid more attention as promising electrode materials in supercapacitors. Yet some shortcomings still limit the widely application of PANI/MWNT electrolytes. In this work, in order to improve capacitance ability and long-term stability of electrode, a multi-amino dendrimer (PAMAM) had been covalently linked onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) as a bridge to facilitating covalent graft of polyaniline (PANI), affording P-MWNT/PANI electrode composites for supercapacitor. Surprisingly, ordered arrays of PANI nanowires on MWNT (setaria-like morphology) had been observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrochemical properties of P-MWNT/PANI electrode had been characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge technique. The specific capacitance and long cycle life of P-MWNT-PANI electrode material were both much higher than MWNT/PANI. These interesting results indicate that multi-amino dendrimer, PAMAM, covalently linked on MWNT provides more reaction sites for in-situ polymerization of ordered PANI, which could efficiently shorten the ion diffusion length in electrolytes and lead to making fully use of conducting materials.

Ultrahigh density alignment of carbon nanotube arrays by dielectrophoresis.

PubMed

Shekhar, Shashank; Stokes, Paul; Khondaker, Saiful I

2011-03-22

We report ultrahigh density assembly of aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) two-dimensional arrays via AC dielectrophoresis using high-quality surfactant-free and stable SWNT solutions. After optimization of frequency and trapping time, we can reproducibly control the linear density of the SWNT between prefabricated electrodes from 0.5 SWNT/μm to more than 30 SWNT/μm by tuning the concentration of the nanotubes in the solution. Our maximum density of 30 SWNT/μm is the highest for aligned arrays via any solution processing technique reported so far. Further increase of SWNT concentration results in a dense array with multiple layers. We discuss how the orientation and density of the nanotubes vary with concentrations and channel lengths. Electrical measurement data show that the densely packed aligned arrays have low sheet resistances. Selective removal of metallic SWNTs via controlled electrical breakdown produced field-effect transistors with high current on-off ratio. Ultrahigh density alignment reported here will have important implications in fabricating high-quality devices for digital and analog electronics.

MnO2 nanotubes assembled on conductive graphene/polyester composite fabric as a three-dimensional porous textile electrode for flexible electrochemical capacitors.

PubMed

Jin, Chun; Jin, Li-Na; Guo, Mei-Xia; Liu, Ping; Zhang, Jia-Nan; Bian, Shao-Wei

2017-12-15

A three-dimensional (3D) electrode material was successfully synthesized through a facile ZnO-assisted hydrothermal process in which vertical MnO 2 nanotube arrays were in situ grown on the conductive graphene/polyester composite fabric. The morphology and structure of MnO 2 nanotubes/graphene/polyester textile electrode were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The 3D electrode structure facilitates to achieve the maximum number of active sites for the pesudocapacitance redox reaction, fast electrolyte ion transportation and short ion diffusion path. The electrochemical measurements showed that the electrode possesses good capacitance capacity which reached 498F/g at a scan rate of 2mV/s in Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte solution. The electrode also showed stable electrochemical performances under the conditions of long-term cycling, and mechanical bending and twisting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of hollow nanorod electrodes based on RuO2//Fe2O3 for an asymmetric supercapacitor.

PubMed

Wang, Qiufan; Liang, Xiao; Ma, Yun; Zhang, Daohong

2018-06-12

In this work, hollow RuO2 nanotube arrays were successfully grown on carbon cloth by using a facile two-step method to fabricate a binder-free electrode. The well-aligned electrode displays excellent electrochemical performance. By using RuO2 hollow nanotube arrays as the positive electrode and Fe2O3 as the negative electrode, a flexible solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) has been fabricated which exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, such as a high capacitance of 4.9 F cm-3, a high energy density of 1.5 mW h cm-3 and a high power density of 9.1 mW cm-3. In addition, the two-electrode SC shows high cycling stability with 97% capacitance retention after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. These excellent electrochemical performances are ascribed to the unique hollow structural design of electrodes, which can shorten the ion diffusion length, provide a fast ion transport channel, and offer a large electrode/electrolyte interface for the charge-transfer reaction. The structural design and the synthesis approach are general and can be extended to synthesizing a broad range of materials systems.

A Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-based Biosensor for Monitoring Microcystin-LR in Sources of Drinking Water Supplies

EPA Science Inventory

A multi-walled carbon nanotube-based electrochemical biosensor is developed for monitoring microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a toxic cyanobacterial toxin, in sources of drinking water supplies. The biosensor electrodes are fabricated using dense, mm-long multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) arrays gro...

Carbon nanotube-based multi electrode arrays for neuronal interfacing: progress and prospects

PubMed Central

Bareket-Keren, Lilach; Hanein, Yael

2013-01-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings have been demonstrated over the past several years as a promising material for neuronal interfacing applications. In particular, in the realm of neuronal implants, CNTs have major advantages owing to their unique mechanical and electrical properties. Here we review recent investigations utilizing CNTs in neuro-interfacing applications. Cell adhesion, neuronal engineering and multi electrode recordings with CNTs are described. We also highlight prospective advances in this field, in particular, progress toward flexible, bio-compatible CNT-based technology. PMID:23316141

Ice-assisted transfer of carbon nanotube arrays.

PubMed

Wei, Haoming; Wei, Yang; Lin, Xiaoyang; Liu, Peng; Fan, Shoushan; Jiang, Kaili

2015-03-11

Decoupling the growth and the application of nanomaterials by transfer is an important issue in nanotechnology. Here, we developed an efficient transfer technique for carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays by using ice as a binder to temporarily bond the CNT array and the target substrate. Ice makes it an ultraclean transfer because the evaporation of ice ensures that no contaminants are introduced. The transferred superaligned carbon nanotube (SACNT) arrays not only keep their original appearance and initial alignment but also inherit their spinnability, which is the most desirable feature. The transfer-then-spin strategy can be employed to fabricate patterned CNT arrays, which can act as 3-dimensional electrodes in CNT thermoacoustic chips. Besides, the flip-chipped CNTs are promising field electron emitters. Furthermore, the ice-assisted transfer technique provides a cost-effective solution for mass production of SACNTs, giving CNT technologies a competitive edge, and this method may inspire new ways to transfer other nanomaterials.

Microstructure and pseudocapacitive properties of electrodes constructed of oriented NiO-TiO2 nanotube arrays.

PubMed

Kim, Jae-Hun; Zhu, Kai; Yan, Yanfa; Perkins, Craig L; Frank, Arthur J

2010-10-13

We report on the synthesis and electrochemical properties of oriented NiO-TiO(2) nanotube (NT) arrays as electrodes for supercapacitors. The morphology of the films prepared by electrochemically anodizing Ni-Ti alloy foils was characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction, and photoelectron spectroscopies. The morphology, crystal structure, and composition of the NT films were found to depend on the preparation conditions (anodization voltage and postgrowth annealing temperature). Annealing the as-grown NT arrays to a temperature of 600 °C transformed them from an amorphous phase to a mixture of crystalline rock salt NiO and rutile TiO(2). Changes in the morphology and crystal structure strongly influenced the electrochemical properties of the NT electrodes. Electrodes composed of NT films annealed at 600 °C displayed pseudocapacitor (redox-capacitor) behavior, including rapid charge/discharge kinetics and stable long-term cycling performance. At similar film thicknesses and surface areas, the NT-based electrodes showed a higher rate capability than the randomly packed nanoparticle-based electrodes. Even at the highest scan rate (500 mV/s), the capacitance of the NT electrodes was not much smaller (within 12%) than the capacitance measured at the slowest scan rate (5 mV/s). The faster charge/discharge kinetics of NT electrodes at high scan rates is attributed to the more ordered NT film architecture, which is expected to facilitate electron and ion transport during the charge-discharge reactions.

Binder-free carbon nanotube electrode for electrochemical removal of chromium.

PubMed

Wang, Haitao; Na, Chongzheng

2014-11-26

Electrochemical treatment of chromium-containing wastewater has the advantage of simultaneously reducing hexavalent chromium (CrVI) and reversibly adsorbing the trivalent product (CrIII), thereby minimizing the generation of waste for disposal and providing an opportunity for resource reuse. The application of electrochemical treatment of chromium is often limited by the available electrochemical surface area (ESA) of conventional electrodes with flat surfaces. Here, we report the preparation and evaluation of carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes consisting of vertically aligned CNT arrays directly grown on stainless steel mesh (SSM). We show that the 3-D organization of CNT arrays increases ESA up to 13 times compared to SSM. The increase of ESA is correlated with the length of CNTs, consistent with a mechanism of roughness-induced ESA enhancement. The increase of ESA directly benefits CrVI reduction by proportionally accelerating reduction without compromising the electrode's ability to adsorb CrIII. Our results suggest that the rational design of electrodes with hierarchical structures represents a feasible approach to improve the performance of electrochemical treatment of contaminated water.

Bioelectrocatalytic application of titania nanotube array for molecule detection.

PubMed

Xie, Yibing; Zhou, Limin; Huang, Haitao

2007-06-15

A bioelectrocatalysis system based on titania nanotube electrode has been developed for the quantitative detection application. Highly ordered titania nanotube array with inner diameter of 60 nm and total length of 540 nm was formed by anodizing titanium foils. The functionalization modification was achieved by embedding glucose oxidases inside tubule channels and electropolymerizing pyrrole for interfacial immobilization. Morphology and microstructure characterization, electrochemical properties and bioelectrocatalytic reactivities of this composite were fully investigated. The direct detection of hydrogen peroxide by electrocatalytic reduction reaction was fulfilled on pure titania nanotube array with a detection limit up to 2.0 x 10(-4)mM. A biosensor based on the glucose oxidase-titania/titanium electrode was constructed for amperometric detection and quantitative determination of glucose in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8) under a potentiostatic condition (-0.4V versus SCE). The resulting glucose biosensor showed an excellent performance with a response time below 5.6s and a detection limit of 2.0 x 10(-3)mM. The corresponding detection sensitivity was 45.5 microA mM(-1)cm(-2). A good operational reliability was also achieved with relative standard deviations below 3.0%. This novel biosensor exhibited quite high response sensitivity and low detection limit for potential applications.

Development of Amperometric Glucose Biosensor Based on Prussian Blue Functionlized TiO2 Nanotube Arrays

PubMed Central

Gao, Zhi-Da; Qu, Yongfang; Li, Tongtong; Shrestha, Nabeen K.; Song, Yan-Yan

2014-01-01

Amperometric biosensors consisting of oxidase and peroxidase have attracted great attention because of their wide application. The current work demonstrates a novel approach to construct an enzymatic biosensor based on TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiNTs) as a supporting electrode on which Prussian Blue (PB)-an “artificial enzyme peroxidase” and enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) have been immobilized. For this, PB nanocrystals are deposited onto the nanotube wall photocatalytically using the intrinsic photocatalytical property of TiO2, and the GOx/AuNPs nanobiocomposites are subsequently immobilized into the nanotubes via the electrodeposition of polymer. The resulting electrode exhibits a fast response, wide linear range, and good stability for glucose sensing. The sensitivity of the sensor is as high as 248 mA M−1 cm−2, and the detection limit is about 3.2 μM. These findings demonstrate a promising strategy to integrate enzymes and TiNTs, which could provide an analytical access to a large group of enzymes for bioelectrochemical applications including biosensors and biofuel cells. PMID:25367086

1D Ni-Co oxide and sulfide nanoarray/carbon aerogel hybrid nanostructures for asymmetric supercapacitors with high energy density and excellent cycling stability.

PubMed

Hao, Pin; Tian, Jian; Sang, Yuanhua; Tuan, Chia-Chi; Cui, Guanwei; Shi, Xifeng; Wong, C P; Tang, Bo; Liu, Hong

2016-09-15

The fabrication of supercapacitor electrodes with high energy density and excellent cycling stability is still a great challenge. A carbon aerogel, possessing a hierarchical porous structure, high specific surface area and electrical conductivity, is an ideal backbone to support transition metal oxides and bring hope to prepare electrodes with high energy density and excellent cycling stability. Therefore, NiCo 2 S 4 nanotube array/carbon aerogel and NiCo 2 O 4 nanoneedle array/carbon aerogel hybrid supercapacitor electrode materials were synthesized by assembling Ni-Co precursor needle arrays on the surface of the channel walls of hierarchical porous carbon aerogels derived from chitosan in this study. The 1D nanostructures grow on the channel surface of the carbon aerogel vertically and tightly, contributing to the enhanced electrochemical performance with ultrahigh energy density. The energy density of NiCo 2 S 4 nanotube array/carbon aerogel and NiCo 2 O 4 nanoneedle array/carbon aerogel hybrid asymmetric supercapacitors can reach up to 55.3 Wh kg -1 and 47.5 Wh kg -1 at a power density of 400 W kg -1 , respectively. These asymmetric devices also displayed excellent cycling stability with a capacitance retention of about 96.6% and 92% over 5000 cycles.

A facile one-step synthesis of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles-decorated TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays as high performance electrode for supercapacitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Jianfang; Wang, Yan; Key Laboratory of Advance Functional Materials and Devices of Anhui Province, Hefei 230009

Via a facile one-step chemical bath deposition route, homogeneously dispersed Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have been successfully deposited onto the inner surface of TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (TNAs). The content and size of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} can be controlled by changing the deposition time. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis reveal the morphologies structures of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs composites. The crystal-line structures are characterized by the X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy further confirms the valence states of the sample elements. The electrochemical properties of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs electrodes are systematically investigated bymore » the combine use of cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The resulting Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs electrode prepared by deposition time of 3 h shows the highest specific capacitance of 570 F g{sup −1} at a current density of 1 A g{sup −1}. And it also shows an excellent long-term cycling stability at a current density of 5 A g{sup −1}, which remaining 91.8% of the initial capacitance after 2000 cycles. Thus this kind of Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles decorated TNAs may be considered as an alternative promising candidate for high performance supercapacitor electrodes. - Graphical abstract: Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have been uniformly deposited onto the inner surfaces of TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays through a facile one-step chemical bath deposition method. As electrodes for supercapacitors, they exhibit a relatively high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability. - Highlights: • Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles have been deposited onto TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays by chemical bath deposition. • The Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs exhibits a highest specific capacitance of 570 F g{sup –1} at a current density of 1 A g{sup –1}. • The Mn{sub 3}O{sub 4}/TNAs electrode shows an excellent cycling stability of 91.8% after 2000 cycles.« less

Biochips Containing Arrays of Carbon-Nanotube Electrodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Jun; Meyyappan, M.; Koehne, Jessica; Cassell, Alan; Chen, Hua

2008-01-01

Biochips containing arrays of nanoelectrodes based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are being developed as means of ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) biomarkers for purposes of medical diagnosis and bioenvironmental monitoring. In mass production, these biochips could be relatively inexpensive (hence, disposable). These biochips would be integrated with computer-controlled microfluidic and microelectronic devices in automated hand-held and bench-top instruments that could be used to perform rapid in vitro genetic analyses with simplified preparation of samples. Carbon nanotubes are attractive for use as nanoelectrodes for detection of biomolecules because of their nanoscale dimensions and their chemical properties.

H-TiO2/C/MnO2 nanocomposite materials for high-performance supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di, Jing; Fu, Xincui; Zheng, Huajun; Jia, Yi

2015-06-01

Functionalized TiO2 nanotube arrays with decoration of MnO2 nanoparticles (denoted as H-TiO2/C/MnO2) have been synthesized in the application of electrochemical capacitors. To improve both areal and gravimetric capacitance, hydrogen treatment and carbon coating process were conducted on TiO2 nanotube arrays. By scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it is confirmed that the nanostructure is formed by the uniform incorporation of MnO2 nanoparticles growing round the surface of the TiO2 nanotube arrays. Impedance analysis proves that the enhanced capacitive is due to the decrease of charge transfer resistance and diffusion resistance. Electrochemical measurements performed on this H-TiO2/C/MnO2 nanocomposite when used as an electrode material for an electrochemical pseudocapacitor presents quasi-rectangular shaped cyclic voltammetry curves up to 100 mV/s, with a large specific capacitance (SC) of 299.8 F g-1 at the current density of 0.5 A g-1 in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte. More importantly, the electrode also exhibits long-term cycling stability, only 13 % of SC loss after 2000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. Based on the concept of integrating active materials on highly ordered nanostructure framework, this method can be widely applied to the synthesis of high-performance electrode materials for energy storage.

Increased Alignment in Carbon Nanotube Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delzeit, Lance D. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

Method and system for fabricating an array of two or more carbon nanotube (CNT) structures on a coated substrate surface, the structures having substantially the same orientation with respect to a substrate surface. A single electrode, having an associated voltage source with a selected voltage, is connected to a substrate surface after the substrate is coated and before growth of the CNT structures, for a selected voltage application time interval. The CNT structures are then grown on a coated substrate surface with the desired orientation. Optionally, the electrode can be disconnected before the CNT structures are grown.

Preparation of electrochemically active silicon nanotubes in highly ordered arrays

PubMed Central

Grünzel, Tobias; Lee, Young Joo; Kuepper, Karsten

2013-01-01

Summary Silicon as the negative electrode material of lithium ion batteries has a very large capacity, the exploitation of which is impeded by the volume changes taking place upon electrochemical cycling. A Si electrode displaying a controlled porosity could circumvent the difficulty. In this perspective, we present a preparative method that yields ordered arrays of electrochemically competent silicon nanotubes. The method is based on the atomic layer deposition of silicon dioxide onto the pore walls of an anodic alumina template, followed by a thermal reduction with lithium vapor. This thermal reduction is quantitative, homogeneous over macroscopic samples, and it yields amorphous silicon and lithium oxide, at the exclusion of any lithium silicides. The reaction is characterized by spectroscopic ellipsometry for thin silica films, and by nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for nanoporous samples. After removal of the lithium oxide byproduct, the silicon nanotubes can be contacted electrically. In a lithium ion electrolyte, they then display the electrochemical waves also observed for other bulk or nanostructured silicon systems. The method established here paves the way for systematic investigations of how the electrochemical properties (capacity, charge/discharge rates, cyclability) of nanoporous silicon negative lithium ion battery electrode materials depend on the geometry. PMID:24205460

Direct growth of metal-organic frameworks thin film arrays on glassy carbon electrode based on rapid conversion step mediated by copper clusters and hydroxide nanotubes for fabrication of a high performance non-enzymatic glucose sensing platform.

PubMed

Shahrokhian, Saeed; Khaki Sanati, Elnaz; Hosseini, Hadi

2018-07-30

The direct growth of self-supported metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) thin film can be considered as an effective strategy for fabrication of the advanced modified electrodes in sensors and biosensor applications. However, most of the fabricated MOFs-based sensors suffer from some drawbacks such as time consuming for synthesis of MOF and electrode making, need of a binder or an additive layer, need of expensive equipment and use of hazardous solvents. Here, a novel free-standing MOFs-based modified electrode was fabricated by the rapid direct growth of MOFs on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). In this method, direct growth of MOFs was occurred by the formation of vertically aligned arrays of Cu clusters and Cu(OH) 2 nanotubes, which can act as both mediator and positioning fixing factor for the rapid formation of self-supported MOFs on GCE surface. The effect of both chemically and electrochemically formed Cu(OH) 2 nanotubes on the morphological and electrochemical performance of the prepared MOFs were investigated. Due to the unique properties of the prepared MOFs thin film electrode such as uniform and vertically aligned structure, excellent stability, high electroactive surface area, and good availability to analyte and electrolyte diffusion, it was directly used as the electrode material for non-enzymatic electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose. Moreover, the potential utility of this sensing platform for the analytical determination of glucose concentration was evaluated by the amperometry technique. The results proved that the self-supported MOFs thin film on GCE is a promising electrode material for fabricating and designing non-enzymatic glucose sensors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Freestanding eggshell membrane-based electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors and oxygen evolution reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Jing; Wu, Hao; Al-Enizi, Abdullah M.; Elzatahry, Ahmed A.; Zheng, Gengfeng

2015-08-01

A type of freestanding, light-weight eggshell membrane-based electrode is demonstrated for supercapacitors and for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis. As a widely available daily waste, eggshell membranes have unique porous three-dimensional grid-like fibrous structures with relatively high surface area and abundant macropores, allowing for effective conjugation of carbon nanotubes and growth of NiCo2O4 nanowire arrays, an effective supercapacitor material and OER catalyst. The three-dimensional fibrous eggshell membrane frameworks with carbon nanotubes offer efficient pathways for charge transport, and the macropores between adjacent fibers are fully accessible for electrolytes and bubble evolution. As a supercapacitor, the eggshell membrane/carbon nanotube/NiCo2O4 electrode shows high specific capacitances at current densities from 1 to 20 A g-1, with excellent capacitance retention (>90%) at 10 A g-1 for over 10 000 cycles. When employed as an OER catalyst, this eggshell membrane-based electrode exhibits an OER onset potential of 1.53 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and a stable catalytic current density of 20 mA cm-2 at 1.65 V vs. the RHE.A type of freestanding, light-weight eggshell membrane-based electrode is demonstrated for supercapacitors and for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis. As a widely available daily waste, eggshell membranes have unique porous three-dimensional grid-like fibrous structures with relatively high surface area and abundant macropores, allowing for effective conjugation of carbon nanotubes and growth of NiCo2O4 nanowire arrays, an effective supercapacitor material and OER catalyst. The three-dimensional fibrous eggshell membrane frameworks with carbon nanotubes offer efficient pathways for charge transport, and the macropores between adjacent fibers are fully accessible for electrolytes and bubble evolution. As a supercapacitor, the eggshell membrane/carbon nanotube/NiCo2O4 electrode shows high specific capacitances at current densities from 1 to 20 A g-1, with excellent capacitance retention (>90%) at 10 A g-1 for over 10 000 cycles. When employed as an OER catalyst, this eggshell membrane-based electrode exhibits an OER onset potential of 1.53 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and a stable catalytic current density of 20 mA cm-2 at 1.65 V vs. the RHE. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Supporting figures, with additional SEM images, EDS spectra, N2 sorption isotherms, charge-discharge curves, cycling performance, Ragone plot, Nyquist plots and linear scan voltammogram plots. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04603c

Flammable and noxious gas sensing using a microtripolar electrode sensor with diameter and chirality sorted single-walled carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Shengbing; Duan, Zhe min; Zhang, Yong

2013-08-01

We report on the utilization of densely packed (˜10 SWCNTs µm-1), well-aligned arrays of single-chirality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as an effective thin-film for integration into a gas sensor with a microtripolar electrode, based on field ionization by dielectrophoretic assembly from a monodisperse SWCNTs solution obtained by polymer-mediated sorting. The sensor is characterized as a field ionization electrode with sorted SWCNTs acting as both the sensing material and transducer gas concentrated directly into an electrical signal, an extractor serving to improve electric field uniformity and a collector electrode completing the current path. The gas sensing properties toward flammable and noxious gases, such as CO and H2, were investigated at room temperature. Besides the high sensitivity, the as-fabricated sensor exhibited attractive behaviors in terms of both the detection limit and a fast response, suggesting that our sensor could be used to partly circumvent the low sensing selectivity, long recovery time or irreversibility and allow for a preferential identification of the selected flammable and noxious analytes. Interestingly, the excellent sensing behaviors of the sensors based on the field ionization effect derive directly from the combined effects of the high-quality, low defect SWCNTs arrays, which leads to a small device-to-device variation in the properties and the optimization of electrode fabrication, highlighting the sensor as an appealing candidate in view of nanotube electronics.

Microfluidic and Label-Free Multi-Immunosensors Based on Carbon Nanotube Microelectrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujita, Yuichi; Maehashi, Kenzo; Matsumoto, Kazuhiko; Chikae, Miyuki; Takamura, Yuzuru; Tamiya, Eiichi

2009-06-01

We fabricated microfluidic and label-free multi-immunosensors by the integration of carbon nanotube (CNT)-arrayed electrodes and microchannels with pneumatic micropumps made of poly(dimethylsiloxane). In the microfluidic systems, four kinds of sample solutions were transported from each liquid inlet to microchannels using six pneumatic micropumps. As a result, two kinds of antibodies were immobilized onto different CNT electrodes using the microfluidic systems. Next, two kinds of cancer markers, prostate specific antigen and human chorionic gonadotropin in phosphate buffer solution, were simultaneously detected by differential pulse voltammetry. Therefore, microfludic multi-immunosensors based on CNT electrodes and pneumatic micropumps are useful for the development of multiplex hand-held biosensors.

Bio-inspired photo-electronic material based on photosynthetic proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedev, Nikolai; Trammell, Scott A.; Tsoi, Stanislav; Spano, Anthony; Kim, Jin Ho; Xu, Jimmy; Twigg, Mark E.; Schnur, Joel M.

2009-08-01

The construction of efficient light energy converting (photovoltaic and photo-electronic) devices is a current and great challenge in science and technology and one that will have important economic consequences. Several innovative nanoelectronic materials were proposed to achieve this goal, semiconductor quantum dots, metallic nanowires and carbon nanotubes (CNT) are among them. As a charge separating unit for light energy conversion, we propose the utilization of the most advanced photoelectronic material developed by nature, photosynthetic reaction center proteins. As a first step in this direction, we constructed a novel bioinorganic nanophotoelectronic material with photoactive photosynthetic reaction center (RC) proteins encapsulated inside a multiwall CNT arrayed electrode. The material consists of photosynthetic RC-cytochrome complexes acting as charge separating units bound to the inner walls of a CNT electrode and ubiquinone-10 (Q2) serving as a soluble electron-transfer mediator to the counter electrode. The proteins were immobilized inside carbon nanotubes by a Ni(NTA)-alkane-pyrene linker, forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the surface of inner CNT walls and allowing for unidirectional protein orientation. The material demonstrates an enhanced photoinduced electron transfer rate and shows substantial improvement in photocurrent density compared to that obtained with the same proteins when immobilized on planar graphite (HOPG) electrode. The results suggest that protein encapsulation in precisely organized arrayed tubular electrode architecture can considerably improve the performance of photovoltaic, photoelectronic, or biofuel cell devices. They demonstrate the potential for substantial advantages of precisely organized nano electrode tubular arrayed architecture for variety biotechnological applications.

Carbon Nanotube Nanoelectrode Array for Ultrasensitive DNA Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Jun; Koehne, Jessica; Chen, Hua; Cassell, Alan; Ng, Hou Tee; Fan, Wendy; Ye, Qi; Han, Jie; Meyyappan, M.

2003-01-01

A reliable nanoelectrode array based on vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) embedded in SiO2 is used for ultrasensitive DNA detection. Characteristic nanoelectrode behavior is observed using low-density MWNT arrays for measuring both bulk and surface immobilized redox species such as K4Fe(CN)6. The open-end of MWNTs present similar properties as graphite edge-plane electrodes with wide potential window, flexible chemical functionalities, and good biocompatibility. Oligonucleotide probes are selectively functionalized at the open ends cf the nanotube array and specifically hybridized with oligonucleotide targets. The guanine groups are employed as the signal moieties in the electrochemical measurements. Ru(bpy)3(2+) mediator is used to further amplify the guanine oxidation signal. The hybridization of subattomoles of PCR amplified DNA targets is detected electrochemically by combining the MWNT nanoelectrode array with the Ru(bpy)32' amplification mechanism. This system provides a general platform of molecular diagnostics for applications requiring ultrahigh sensitivity, high-degree of miniaturization, and simple sample preparations.

High-performance Li-ion Sn anodes with enhanced electrochemical properties using highly conductive TiN nanotubes array as a 3D multifunctional support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pu, Jun; Du, Hongxiu; Wang, Jian; Wu, Wenlu; Shen, Zihan; Liu, Jinyun; Zhang, Huigang

2017-08-01

High capacity electrodes are demanded to increase the energy and power density of lithium ion batteries. However, the cycling and rate properties are severely affected by the large volume changes caused by the lithium insertion and extraction. Structured electrodes with mechanically stable scaffolds are widely developed to mitigate the adverse effects of volume changes. Tin, as a promising anode material, receives great attentions because of its high theoretic capacity. There is a critical value of tin particle size above which tin anodes readily crack, leading to low cyclability. The electrode design using mechanical scaffolds must retain tin particles below the critical size and concurrently enable high volumetric capacity. It is a challenge to guarantee the critical size for high cyclability and space utilization for high volumetric capacity. This study provides a highly conductive TiN nanotubes array with submicron diameters, which enable thin tin coating without sacrificing the volumetric capacity. Such a structured electrode delivers a capacity of 795 mAh gSn-1 (Sn basis) and 1812 mAh cmel-3 (electrode basis). The long-term cycling shows only 0.04% capacity decay per cycle.

Stacked 3D RRAM Array with Graphene/CNT as Edge Electrodes

PubMed Central

Bai, Yue; Wu, Huaqiang; Wang, Kun; Wu, Riga; Song, Lin; Li, Tianyi; Wang, Jiangtao; Yu, Zhiping; Qian, He

2015-01-01

There are two critical challenges which determine the array density of 3D RRAM: 1) the scaling limit in both horizontal and vertical directions; 2) the integration of selector devices in 3D structure. In this work, we present a novel 3D RRAM structure using low-dimensional materials, including 2D graphene and 1D carbon nanotube (CNT), as the edge electrodes. A two-layer 3D RRAM with monolayer graphene as edge electrode is demonstrated. The electrical results reveal that the RRAM devices could switch normally with this very thin edge electrode at nanometer scale. Meanwhile, benefited from the asymmetric carrier transport induced by Schottky barrier at metal/CNT and oxide/CNT interfaces, a selector built-in 3D RRAM structure using CNT as edge electrode is successfully fabricated and characterized. Furthermore, the discussion of high array density potential is presented. PMID:26348797

Stacked 3D RRAM Array with Graphene/CNT as Edge Electrodes.

PubMed

Bai, Yue; Wu, Huaqiang; Wang, Kun; Wu, Riga; Song, Lin; Li, Tianyi; Wang, Jiangtao; Yu, Zhiping; Qian, He

2015-09-08

There are two critical challenges which determine the array density of 3D RRAM: 1) the scaling limit in both horizontal and vertical directions; 2) the integration of selector devices in 3D structure. In this work, we present a novel 3D RRAM structure using low-dimensional materials, including 2D graphene and 1D carbon nanotube (CNT), as the edge electrodes. A two-layer 3D RRAM with monolayer graphene as edge electrode is demonstrated. The electrical results reveal that the RRAM devices could switch normally with this very thin edge electrode at nanometer scale. Meanwhile, benefited from the asymmetric carrier transport induced by Schottky barrier at metal/CNT and oxide/CNT interfaces, a selector built-in 3D RRAM structure using CNT as edge electrode is successfully fabricated and characterized. Furthermore, the discussion of high array density potential is presented.

Guided growth of large-scale, horizontally aligned arrays of single-walled carbon nanotubes and their use in thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Kocabas, Coskun; Hur, Seung-Hyun; Gaur, Anshu; Meitl, Matthew A; Shim, Moonsub; Rogers, John A

2005-11-01

A convenient process for generating large-scale, horizontally aligned arrays of pristine, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is described. The approach uses guided growth, by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), of SWNTs on miscut single-crystal quartz substrates. Studies of the growth reveal important relationships between the density and alignment of the tubes, the CVD conditions, and the morphology of the quartz. Electrodes and dielectrics patterned on top of these arrays yield thin-film transistors that use the SWNTs as effective thin-film semiconductors. The ability to build high-performance devices of this type suggests significant promise for large-scale aligned arrays of SWNTs in electronics, sensors, and other applications.

High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrode Based on Cobalt Oxide-Manganese Dioxide-Nickel Oxide Ternary 1D Hybrid Nanotubes.

PubMed

Singh, Ashutosh K; Sarkar, Debasish; Karmakar, Keshab; Mandal, Kalyan; Khan, Gobinda Gopal

2016-08-17

We report a facile method to design Co3O4-MnO2-NiO ternary hybrid 1D nanotube arrays for their application as active material for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. This as-prepared novel supercapacitor electrode can store charge as high as ∼2020 C/g (equivalent specific capacitance ∼2525 F/g) for a potential window of 0.8 V and has long cycle stability (nearly 80% specific capacitance retains after successive 5700 charge/discharge cycles), significantly high Coulombic efficiency, and fast response time (∼0.17s). The remarkable electrochemical performance of this unique electrode material is the outcome of its enormous reaction platform provided by its special nanostructure morphology and conglomeration of the electrochemical properties of three highly redox active materials in a single unit.

Force sensitive carbon nanotube arrays for biologically inspired airflow sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maschmann, Matthew R.; Dickinson, Ben; Ehlert, Gregory J.; Baur, Jeffery W.

2012-09-01

The compressive electromechanical response of aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays is evaluated for use as an artificial hair sensor (AHS) transduction element. CNT arrays with heights of 12, 75, and 225 µm are examined. The quasi-static and dynamic sensitivity to force, response time, and signal drift are examined within the range of applied stresses predicted by a mechanical model applicable to the conceptual CNT array-based AHS (0-1 kPa). Each array is highly sensitive to compressive loading, with a maximum observed gauge factor of 114. The arrays demonstrate a repeatable response to dynamic cycling after a break-in period of approximately 50 cycles. Utilizing a four-wire measurement electrode configuration, the change in contact resistance between the array and the electrodes is observed to dominate the electromechanical response of the arrays. The response time of the CNT arrays is of the order of 10 ms. When the arrays are subjected to constant stress, mechanical creep is observed that results in a signal drift that generally diminishes the responsiveness of the arrays, particularly at stress approaching 1 kPa. The results of this study serve as a preliminary proof of concept for utilizing CNT arrays as a transduction mechanism for a proposed artificial hair sensor. Such a low profile and light-weight flow sensor is expected to have application in a number of applications including navigation and state awareness of small air vehicles, similar in function to natural hair cell receptors utilized by insects and bats.

Fully Depleted Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O Nanotubes: Interfacial Charge Dynamics and Solar Hydrogen Production.

PubMed

Chiu, Yi-Hsuan; Lai, Ting-Hsuan; Chen, Chun-Yi; Hsieh, Ping-Yen; Ozasa, Kazunari; Niinomi, Mitsuo; Okada, Kiyoshi; Chang, Tso-Fu Mark; Matsushita, Nobuhiro; Sone, Masato; Hsu, Yung-Jung

2018-05-01

Poor kinetics of hole transportation at the electrode/electrolyte interface is regarded as a primary cause for the mediocre performance of n-type TiO 2 photoelectrodes. By adopting nanotubes as the electrode backbone, light absorption and carrier collection can be spatially decoupled, allowing n-type TiO 2 , with its short hole diffusion length, to maximize the use of the available photoexcited charge carriers during operation in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Here, we presented a delicate electrochemical anodization process for the preparation of quaternary Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O mixed-oxide (denoted as TNTZO) nanotube arrays and demonstrated their utility in PEC water splitting. The charge-transfer dynamics for the electrodes was investigated using time-resolved photoluminescence, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the decay of open-circuit voltage analysis. Data reveal that the superior photoactivity of TNTZO over pristine TiO 2 originated from the introduction of Nd, Ta, and Zr elements, which enhanced the amount of accessible charge carriers, modified the electronic structure, and improved the hole injection kinetics for expediting water splitting. By modulating the water content of the electrolyte employed in the anodization process, the wall thickness of the grown TNTZO nanotubes can be reduced to a size smaller than that of the depletion layer thickness, realizing a fully depleted state for charge carriers to further advance the PEC performance. Hydrogen evolution tests demonstrate the practical efficacy of TNTZO for realizing solar hydrogen production. Furthermore, with the composition complexity and fully depleted band structure, the present TNTZO nanotube arrays may offer a feasible and universal platform for the loading of other semiconductors to construct a sophisticated heterostructure photoelectrode paradigm, in which the photoexcited charge carriers can be entirely utilized for efficient solar-to-fuel conversion.

Vertically-aligned BCN Nanotube Arrays with Superior Performance in Electrochemical capacitors

PubMed Central

Zhou, Junshuang; Li, Na; Gao, Faming; Zhao, Yufeng; Hou, Li; Xu, Ziming

2014-01-01

Electrochemical capacitors (EC) have received tremendous interest due to their high potential to satisfy the urgent demand in many advanced applications. The development of new electrode materials is considered to be the most promising approach to enhance the EC performance substantially. Herein, we present a high-capacity capacitor material based on vertically-aligned BC2N nanotube arrays (VA-BC2NNTAs) synthesized by low temperature solvothermal route. The obtained VA-BC2NNTAs display the good aligned nonbuckled tubular structure, which could indeed advantageously enhance capacitor performance. VA-BC2NNTAs exhibit an extremely high specific capacitance, 547 Fg−1, which is about 2–6 times larger than that of the presently available carbon-based materials. Meanwhile, VA-BC2NNTAs maintain an excellent rate capability and high durability. All these characteristics endow VA-BC2NNTAs an alternative promising candidate for an efficient electrode material for electrochemical capacitors (EC). PMID:25124300

Freestanding eggshell membrane-based electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors and oxygen evolution reaction.

PubMed

Geng, Jing; Wu, Hao; Al-Enizi, Abdullah M; Elzatahry, Ahmed A; Zheng, Gengfeng

2015-09-14

A type of freestanding, light-weight eggshell membrane-based electrode is demonstrated for supercapacitors and for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis. As a widely available daily waste, eggshell membranes have unique porous three-dimensional grid-like fibrous structures with relatively high surface area and abundant macropores, allowing for effective conjugation of carbon nanotubes and growth of NiCo2O4 nanowire arrays, an effective supercapacitor material and OER catalyst. The three-dimensional fibrous eggshell membrane frameworks with carbon nanotubes offer efficient pathways for charge transport, and the macropores between adjacent fibers are fully accessible for electrolytes and bubble evolution. As a supercapacitor, the eggshell membrane/carbon nanotube/NiCo2O4 electrode shows high specific capacitances at current densities from 1 to 20 A g(-1), with excellent capacitance retention (>90%) at 10 A g(-1) for over 10,000 cycles. When employed as an OER catalyst, this eggshell membrane-based electrode exhibits an OER onset potential of 1.53 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), and a stable catalytic current density of 20 mA cm(-2) at 1.65 V vs. the RHE.

Flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors based on polyaniline orderly nanotubes array.

PubMed

Li, Huihua; Song, Juan; Wang, Linlin; Feng, Xiaomiao; Liu, Ruiqing; Zeng, Wenjin; Huang, Zhendong; Ma, Yanwen; Wang, Lianhui

2017-01-07

Flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors are crucial to meet the growing needs for portable electronic devices such as foldable phones and wearable electronics. As promising candidates for pseudocapacitor electrode materials, polyaniline (PANI) orderly nanotube arrays are prepared via a simple template electrodeposition method. The structures of the final product were characterized using various characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained PANI nanotube film could be directly used as a flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor electrode. Electrochemical results show that the areal capacitance of a PANI nanotube-based supercapacitor with the deposition cycle number of 100 can achieve a maximum areal capacitance of 237.5 mF cm -2 at a scan rate of 10 mV s -1 and maximum energy density of 24.31 mW h cm -2 at a power density of 2.74 mW cm -2 . In addition, the prepared supercapacitor exhibits excellent flexibility under different bending conditions. It retains 95.2% of its initial capacitance value after 2000 cycles at a current density of 1.0 mA cm -1 , which displays its superior cycling stability. Moreover, the prepared flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor can power a light-emitting-diode (LED), which meets the practical applications of micropower supplies.

Thermionic Emission of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Measured

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Krainsky, Isay L.; Bailey, Sheila G.; Elich, Jeffrey M.; Landi, Brian J.; Gennett, Thomas; Raffaelle, Ryne P.

2004-01-01

Researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center, in collaboration with the Rochester Institute of Technology, have investigated the thermionic properties of high-purity, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for use as electron-emitting electrodes. Carbon nanotubes are a recently discovered material made from carbon atoms bonded into nanometer-scale hollow tubes. Such nanotubes have remarkable properties. An extremely high aspect ratio, as well as unique mechanical and electronic properties, make single-wall nanotubes ideal for use in a vast array of applications. Carbon nanotubes typically have diameters on the order of 1 to 2 nm. As a result, the ends have a small radius of curvature. It is these characteristics, therefore, that indicate they might be excellent potential candidates for both thermionic and field emission.

One-Step Formation of WO3-Loaded TiO2 Nanotubes Composite Film for High Photocatalytic Performance

PubMed Central

Lee, Wai Hong; Lai, Chin Wei; Abd Hamid, Sharifah Bee

2015-01-01

High aspect ratio of WO3-loaded TiO2 nanotube arrays have been successfully synthesized using the electrochemical anodization method in an ethylene glycol electrolyte containing 0.5 wt% ammonium fluoride in a range of applied voltage of 10–40 V for 30 min. The novelty of this research works in the one-step formation of WO3-loaded TiO2 nanotube arrays composite film by using tungsten as the cathode material instead of the conventionally used platinum electrode. As compared with platinum, tungsten metal has lower stability, forming dissolved ions (W6+) in the electrolyte. The W6+ ions then move towards the titanium foil and form a coherent deposit on titanium foil. By controlling the oxidation rate and chemical dissolution rate of TiO2 during the electrochemical anodization, the nanotubular structure of TiO2 film could be achieved. In the present study, nanotube arrays were characterized using FESEM, EDAX, XRD, as well as Raman spectroscopy. Based on the results obtained, nanotube arrays with average pore diameter of up to 74 nm and length of 1.6 µm were produced. EDAX confirmed the presence of tungsten element within the nanotube arrays which varied in content from 1.06 at% to 3.29 at%. The photocatalytic activity of the nanotube arrays was then investigated using methyl orange degradation under TUV 96W UV-B Germicidal light irradiation. The nanotube with the highest aspect ratio, geometric surface area factor and at% of tungsten exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity due to more photo-induced electron-hole pairs generated by the larger surface area and because WO3 improves charge separation, reduces charge carrier recombination and increases charge carrier lifetime via accumulation of electrons and holes in the two different metal oxide semiconductor components.

Direct current injection and thermocapillary flow for purification of aligned arrays of single-walled carbon nanotubes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, Xu; Islam, Ahmad E.; Seabron, Eric

2015-04-07

Aligned arrays of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) represent ideal configurations for use of this class of material in high performance electronics. Development of means for removing the metallic SWNTs (m-SWNTs) in as-grown arrays represents an essential challenge. Here, we introduce a simple scheme that achieves this type of purification using direct, selective current injection through interdigitated electrodes into the m-SWNTs, to allow their complete removal using processes of thermocapillarity and dry etching. Experiments and numerical simulations establish the fundamental aspects that lead to selectivity in this process, thereby setting design rules for optimization. Single-step purification of arrays that includemore » thousands of SWNTs demonstrates the effectiveness and simplicity of the procedures. The result is a practical route to large-area aligned arrays of purely s-SWNTs with low-cost experimental setups.« less

Facile fabrication of organic/inorganic nanotube heterojunction arrays for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yingzhi; Li, Aoxiang; Yue, Xiaoqi; Wang, Lu-Ning; Huang, Zheng-Hong; Kang, Feiyu; Volinsky, Alex A.

2016-07-01

Organic/inorganic heterojunction photoanodes are appealing for making concurrent use of the highly photoactive organic semiconductors, and the efficient dielectric screening provided by their inorganic counterparts. In the present work, organic/inorganic nanotube heterojunction arrays composed of TiO2 nanotube arrays and a semiconducting N,N-(dicyclohexyl) perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDi) layer were fabricated for photoelectrochemical water splitting. In this arrayed architecture, a PDi layer with a tunable thickness was coated on anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays by physical vapor deposition, which is advantageous for the formation of a uniform layer and an adequate interface contact between PDi and TiO2. The obtained PDi/TiO2 junction exhibited broadened visible light absorption, and an effective interface for enhanced photogenerated electron-hole separation, which is supported by the reduced charge transfer resistance and prolonged excitation lifetime via impedance spectroscopy analysis and fluorescence emission decay investigations. Consequently, such a heterojunction photoanode was photoresponsive to a wide visible light region of 400-600 nm, and thus demonstrated a highly enhanced photocurrent density at 1.23 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode. Additionally, the durability of such a photoanode can be guaranteed after long-time illumination because of the geometrical restraint imposed by the PDi aggregates. These results pave the way to discover new organic/inorganic assemblies for high-performance photoelectric applications and device integration.Organic/inorganic heterojunction photoanodes are appealing for making concurrent use of the highly photoactive organic semiconductors, and the efficient dielectric screening provided by their inorganic counterparts. In the present work, organic/inorganic nanotube heterojunction arrays composed of TiO2 nanotube arrays and a semiconducting N,N-(dicyclohexyl) perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDi) layer were fabricated for photoelectrochemical water splitting. In this arrayed architecture, a PDi layer with a tunable thickness was coated on anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays by physical vapor deposition, which is advantageous for the formation of a uniform layer and an adequate interface contact between PDi and TiO2. The obtained PDi/TiO2 junction exhibited broadened visible light absorption, and an effective interface for enhanced photogenerated electron-hole separation, which is supported by the reduced charge transfer resistance and prolonged excitation lifetime via impedance spectroscopy analysis and fluorescence emission decay investigations. Consequently, such a heterojunction photoanode was photoresponsive to a wide visible light region of 400-600 nm, and thus demonstrated a highly enhanced photocurrent density at 1.23 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode. Additionally, the durability of such a photoanode can be guaranteed after long-time illumination because of the geometrical restraint imposed by the PDi aggregates. These results pave the way to discover new organic/inorganic assemblies for high-performance photoelectric applications and device integration. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional structural characterization. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr07893h

Layered-metal-hydroxide nanosheet arrays with controlled nanostructures to assist direct electronic communication at biointerfaces.

PubMed

An, Zhe; Lu, Shan; Zhao, Liwei; He, Jing

2011-10-18

In this work, ordered vertical arrays of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets have been developed to achieve electron transfer (eT) at biointerfaces in electrochemical devices. It is found that tailoring the gap size of LDH nanosheet arrays could significantly promote the eT rate. This research has successfully extended nanomaterials for efficient modifications of electrode surfaces from nanoparticles, nanowires, nanorods, and nanotubes to nanosheets. © 2011 American Chemical Society

High-speed logic integrated circuits with solution-processed self-assembled carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Shu-Jen; Tang, Jianshi; Kumar, Bharat; Falk, Abram; Farmer, Damon; Tulevski, George; Jenkins, Keith; Afzali, Ali; Oida, Satoshi; Ott, John; Hannon, James; Haensch, Wilfried

2017-09-01

As conventional monolithic silicon technology struggles to meet the requirements for the 7-nm technology node, there has been tremendous progress in demonstrating the scalability of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors down to the size that satisfies the 3-nm node and beyond. However, to date, circuits built with carbon nanotubes have overlooked key aspects of a practical logic technology and have stalled at simple functionality demonstrations. Here, we report high-performance complementary carbon nanotube ring oscillators using fully manufacturable processes, with a stage switching frequency of 2.82 GHz. The circuit was built on solution-processed, self-assembled carbon nanotube arrays with over 99.9% semiconducting purity, and the complementary feature was achieved by employing two different work function electrodes.

High-speed logic integrated circuits with solution-processed self-assembled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Han, Shu-Jen; Tang, Jianshi; Kumar, Bharat; Falk, Abram; Farmer, Damon; Tulevski, George; Jenkins, Keith; Afzali, Ali; Oida, Satoshi; Ott, John; Hannon, James; Haensch, Wilfried

2017-09-01

As conventional monolithic silicon technology struggles to meet the requirements for the 7-nm technology node, there has been tremendous progress in demonstrating the scalability of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors down to the size that satisfies the 3-nm node and beyond. However, to date, circuits built with carbon nanotubes have overlooked key aspects of a practical logic technology and have stalled at simple functionality demonstrations. Here, we report high-performance complementary carbon nanotube ring oscillators using fully manufacturable processes, with a stage switching frequency of 2.82 GHz. The circuit was built on solution-processed, self-assembled carbon nanotube arrays with over 99.9% semiconducting purity, and the complementary feature was achieved by employing two different work function electrodes.

Carbon nanotubes based vacuum gauge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudyk, N. N.; Il'in, O. I.; Il'ina, M. V.; Fedotov, A. A.; Klimin, V. S.; Ageev, O. A.

2017-11-01

We have created an ionization type Vacuum gauge with sensor element based on an array of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. Obtained asymmetrical current-voltage characteristics at different voltage polarity on the electrode with the CNTs. It was found that when applying a negative potential on an electrode with the CNTs, the current in the gap is higher than at a positive potential. In the pressure range of 1 ÷ 103 Torr vacuum gauge sensitivity was 6 mV/Torr (at a current of 4.5·10-5 A) and in the range of 10-5 ÷ 1 Torr was 10 mV/Torr (at a current of 1.3·10-5 A). It is shown that the energy efficiency of vacuum gauge can be increased in the case where electrode with CNT operates as an emitter of electrons.

Spontaneous hybrids of graphene and carbon nanotube arrays at the liquid-gas interface for Li-ion battery anodes.

PubMed

Kim, Hyeri; Kim, Jongsoon; Jeong, Hee-Sung; Kim, Hyungsub; Lee, Hoyeon; Ha, Jae-Min; Choi, Sung-Min; Kim, Tae-Ho; Nah, Yoon-Chae; Shin, Tae Joo; Bang, Joona; Satija, Sushil K; Koo, Jaseung

2018-05-17

We demonstrate that hybrid structures of graphene and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are precisely controlled at the liquid-gas interface. The functionalized SWNT Langmuir monolayers anchor single-layer graphene nanosheets (GNSs) suspended in water via Coulomb interaction at the interface. This GNS/SWNT hybrid multilayer electrode can be a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries, offering high specific capacity, outstanding power capability, and excellent cyclability.

Double-sided anodic titania nanotube arrays: a lopsided growth process.

PubMed

Sun, Lidong; Zhang, Sam; Sun, Xiao Wei; Wang, Xiaoyan; Cai, Yanli

2010-12-07

In the past decade, the pore diameter of anodic titania nanotubes was reported to be influenced by a number of factors in organic electrolyte, for example, applied potential, working distance, water content, and temperature. All these were closely related to potential drop in the organic electrolyte. In this work, the essential role of electric field originating from the potential drop was directly revealed for the first time using a simple two-electrode anodizing method. Anodic titania nanotube arrays were grown simultaneously at both sides of a titanium foil, with tube length being longer at the front side than that at the back side. This lopsided growth was attributed to the higher ionic flux induced by electric field at the front side. Accordingly, the nanotube length was further tailored to be comparable at both sides by modulating the electric field. These results are promising to be used in parallel configuration dye-sensitized solar cells, water splitting, and gas sensors, as a result of high surface area produced by the double-sided architecture.

Stretchable Transparent Electrode Arrays for Simultaneous Electrical and Optical Interrogation of Neural Circuits in Vivo.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; Liu, Xiaojun; Xu, Wenjing; Luo, Wenhan; Li, Ming; Chu, Fangbing; Xu, Lu; Cao, Anyuan; Guan, Jisong; Tang, Shiming; Duan, Xiaojie

2018-05-09

Recent developments of transparent electrode arrays provide a unique capability for simultaneous optical and electrical interrogation of neural circuits in the brain. However, none of these electrode arrays possess the stretchability highly desired for interfacing with mechanically active neural systems, such as the brain under injury, the spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Here, we report a stretchable transparent electrode array from carbon nanotube (CNT) web-like thin films that retains excellent electrochemical performance and broad-band optical transparency under stretching and is highly durable under cyclic stretching deformation. We show that the CNT electrodes record well-defined neuronal response signals with negligible light-induced artifacts from cortical surfaces under optogenetic stimulation. Simultaneous two-photon calcium imaging through the transparent CNT electrodes from cortical surfaces of GCaMP-expressing mice with epilepsy shows individual activated neurons in brain regions from which the concurrent electrical recording is taken, thus providing complementary cellular information in addition to the high-temporal-resolution electrical recording. Notably, the studies on rats show that the CNT electrodes remain operational during and after brain contusion that involves the rapid deformation of both the electrode array and brain tissue. This enables real-time, continuous electrophysiological monitoring of cortical activity under traumatic brain injury. These results highlight the potential application of the stretchable transparent CNT electrode arrays in combining electrical and optical modalities to study neural circuits, especially under mechanically active conditions, which could potentially provide important new insights into the local circuit dynamics of the spinal cord and PNS as well as the mechanism underlying traumatic injuries of the nervous system.

Mechanically and chemically robust sandwich-structured C@Si@C nanotube array Li-ion battery anodes.

PubMed

Liu, Jinyun; Li, Nan; Goodman, Matthew D; Zhang, Hui Gang; Epstein, Eric S; Huang, Bo; Pan, Zeng; Kim, Jinwoo; Choi, Jun Hee; Huang, Xingjiu; Liu, Jinhuai; Hsia, K Jimmy; Dillon, Shen J; Braun, Paul V

2015-02-24

Stability and high energy densities are essential qualities for emerging battery electrodes. Because of its high specific capacity, silicon has been considered a promising anode candidate. However, the several-fold volume changes during lithiation and delithiation leads to fractures and continuous formation of an unstable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, resulting in rapid capacity decay. Here, we present a carbon-silicon-carbon (C@Si@C) nanotube sandwich structure that addresses the mechanical and chemical stability issues commonly associated with Si anodes. The C@Si@C nanotube array exhibits a capacity of ∼2200 mAh g(-1) (∼750 mAh cm(-3)), which significantly exceeds that of a commercial graphite anode, and a nearly constant Coulombic efficiency of ∼98% over 60 cycles. In addition, the C@Si@C nanotube array gives much better capacity and structure stability compared to the Si nanotubes without carbon coatings, the ZnO@C@Si@C nanorods, a Si thin film on Ni foam, and C@Si and Si@C nanotubes. In situ SEM during cycling shows that the tubes expand both inward and outward upon lithiation, as well as elongate, and then revert back to their initial size and shape after delithiation, suggesting stability during volume changes. The mechanical modeling indicates the overall plastic strain in a nanotube is much less than in a nanorod, which may significantly reduce low-cycle fatigue. The sandwich-structured nanotube design is quite general, and may serve as a guide for many emerging anode and cathode systems.

Preparation of the spacer for narrow electrode gap configuration in ionization-based gas sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saheed, Mohamed Shuaib Mohamed; Mohamed, Norani Muti; Burhanudin, Zainal Arif

2012-09-26

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have started to be developed as the sensing element for ionization-based gas sensors due to the demand for improved sensitivity, selectivity, stability and other sensing properties beyond what can be offered by the conventional ones. Although these limitations have been overcome, the problems still remain with the conventional ionization-based gas sensors in that they are bulky and operating with large breakdown voltage and high temperature. Recent studies have shown that the breakdown voltage can be reduced by using nanostructured electrodes and narrow electrode gap. Nanostructured electrode in the form of aligned CNTs array with evenly distributed nanotipsmore » can enhance the linear electric field significantly. The later is attributed to the shorter conductivity path through narrow electrode gap. The paper presents the study on the design consideration in order to realize ionization based gas sensor using aligned carbon nanotubes array in an optimum sensor configuration with narrow electrode gap. Several deposition techniques were studied to deposit the spacer, the key component that can control the electrode gap. Plasma spray deposition, electron beam deposition and dry oxidation method were employed to obtain minimum film thickness around 32 {mu}m. For plasma spray method, sand blasting process is required in order to produce rough surface for strong bonding of the deposited film onto the surface. Film thickness, typically about 39 {mu}m can be obtained. For the electron beam deposition and dry oxidation, the film thickness is in the range of nanometers and thus unsuitable to produce the spacer. The deposited multilayer film consisting of copper, alumina and ferum on which CNTs array will be grown was found to be removed during the etching process. This is attributed to the high etching rate on the thin film which can be prevented by reducing the rate and having a thicker conductive copper film.« less

Dielectrophoresis-Assisted Integration of 1024 Carbon Nanotube Sensors into a CMOS Microsystem.

PubMed

Seichepine, Florent; Rothe, Jörg; Dudina, Alexandra; Hierlemann, Andreas; Frey, Urs

2017-05-01

Carbon-nanotube (CNT)-based sensors offer the potential to detect single-molecule events and picomolar analyte concentrations. An important step toward applications of such nanosensors is their integration in large arrays. The availability of large arrays would enable multiplexed and parallel sensing, and the simultaneously obtained sensor signals would facilitate statistical analysis. A reliable method to fabricate an array of 1024 CNT-based sensors on a fully processed complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor microsystem is presented. A high-yield process for the deposition of CNTs from a suspension by means of liquid-coupled floating-electrode dielectrophoresis (DEP), which yielded 80% of the sensor devices featuring between one and five CNTs, is developed. The mechanism of floating-electrode DEP on full arrays and individual devices to understand its self-limiting behavior is studied. The resistance distributions across the array of CNT devices with respect to different DEP parameters are characterized. The CNT devices are then operated as liquid-gated CNT field-effect-transistors (LG-CNTFET) in liquid environment. Current dependency to the gate voltage of up to two orders of magnitude is recorded. Finally, the sensors are validated by studying the pH dependency of the LG-CNTFET conductance and it is demonstrated that 73% of the CNT sensors of a given microsystem show a resistance decrease upon increasing the pH value. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrochemically hydrogenated TiO2 nanotubes with improved photoelectrochemical water splitting performance

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

One-dimensional anodic titanium oxide (ATO) nanotube arrays hold great potential as photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, we report a facile and eco-friendly electrochemical hydrogenation method to modify the electronic and PEC properties of ATO nanotube films. The hydrogenated ATO (ATO-H) electrodes present a significantly improved photocurrent of 0.65 mA/cm2 in comparison with that of pristine ATO nanotubes (0.29 mA/cm2) recorded under air mass 1.5 global illumination. The incident photon-to-current efficiency measurement suggests that the enhanced photocurrent of ATO-H nanotubes is mainly ascribed to the improved photoactivity in the UV region. We propose that the electrochemical hydrogenation induced surface oxygen vacancies contribute to the substantially enhanced electrical conductivity and photoactivity. PMID:24047205

Single-wire dye-sensitized solar cells wrapped by carbon nanotube film electrodes.

PubMed

Zhang, Sen; Ji, Chunyan; Bian, Zhuqiang; Liu, Runhua; Xia, Xinyuan; Yun, Daqin; Zhang, Luhui; Huang, Chunhui; Cao, Anyuan

2011-08-10

Conventional fiber-shaped polymeric or dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are usually made into a double-wire structure, in which a secondary electrode wire (e.g., Pt) was twisted along the primary core wire consisting of active layers. Here, we report highly flexible DSSCs based on a single wire, by wrapping a carbon nanotube film around Ti wire-supported TiO(2) tube arrays as the transparent electrode. Unlike a twisted Pt electrode, the CNT film ensures full contact with the underlying active layer, as well as uniform illumination along circumference through the entire DSSC. The single-wire DSSC shows a power conversion efficiency of 1.6% under standard illumination (AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm(2)), which is further improved to more than 2.6% assisted by a second conventional metal wire (Ag or Cu). Our DSSC wires are stable and can be bent to large angles up to 90° reversibly without performance degradation.

Electrochemical characteristics of flexible micro supercapacitors with reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotubes composite electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kyungwhan; Cho, Kyoungah; Kim, Sangsig

2018-06-01

In this study, we fabricate solid-state flexible micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) with reduced graphene oxide-carbon nanotube (rGO-CNT) composite electrodes and investigate the electrochemical characteristics by comparing with those of an MSC with rGO electrodes. Regarding the resistance-capacitance time constant and IR drop, the addition of CNTs into the rGO electrodes shows a significant effect owing to both the decrease in the resistance and the increase in the permeability of the electrolytes. Compared to the rGO MSCs, the rGO-CNT MSCs show an excellent areal capacitance of 2.6 mF/cm2, a smaller IR drop of 11 mV, a lower RC time constant of 6 ms, and faster charging/discharging rates with a high scan rate ability up to 100 V/s. The mechanical stability of the flexible rGO-CNT MSCs is verified by 1000 bending cycles. In addition, the electrochemical characteristics of the flexible rGO-CNT MSCs are maintained regardless of the MSC array type.

Direct growth of vanadium nitride nanosheets on carbon nanotube fibers as novel negative electrodes for high-energy-density wearable fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jiabin; Zhang, Qichong; Sun, Juan; Li, Chaowei; Zhao, Jingxin; Zhou, Zhenyu; He, Bing; Wang, Xiaona; Man, Ping; Li, Qiulong; Zhang, Jun; Xie, Liyan; Li, Mingxing; Yao, Yagang

2018-04-01

Significant efforts have been recently devoted to constructing high-performance fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitors. However, it is still a paramount challenge to develop high-energy-density fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitors for practical applications in portable and wearable electronics. This work reports a simple and efficient method to directly grow vanadium nitride nanosheets on carbon nanotube fibers as advanced negative electrodes with a high specific capacitance of 188 F/cm3 (564 mF/cm2). Taking advantage of their attractive structure, we successfully fabricated a fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor device with a maximum operating voltage of 1.6 V by assembling the vanadium nitride/carbon nanotube fiber negative electrode with the Zinc-Nickel-Cobalt ternary oxides nanowire arrays positive electrode. Due to the excellent synergistic effects between positive and negative electrodes, a remarkable specific capacitance of 50 F/cm3 (150 mF/cm2) and an outstanding energy density of 17.78 mWh/cm3 (53.33 μWh/cm2) for our fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor can be achieved. Furthermore, the as-assembled fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor device has excellent mechanical flexibility in that 91% of the capacitance retained after bending 90° for 3000 times. Thus, this work exploits a pathway to construct high-energy-density fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitor for next-generation portable and wearable electronics.

Supported noble metals on hydrogen-treated TiO2 nanotube arrays as highly ordered electrodes for fuel cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Changkun; Yu, Hongmei; Li, Yongkun; Gao, Yuan; Zhao, Yun; Song, Wei; Shao, Zhigang; Yi, Baolian

2013-04-01

Hydrogen-treated TiO2 nanotube (H-TNT) arrays serve as highly ordered nanostructured electrode supports, which are able to significantly improve the electrochemical performance and durability of fuel cells. The electrical conductivity of H-TNTs increases by approximately one order of magnitude in comparison to air-treated TNTs. The increase in the number of oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl groups on the H-TNTs help to anchor a greater number of Pt atoms during Pt electrodeposition. The H-TNTs are pretreated by using a successive ion adsorption and reaction (SIAR) method that enhances the loading and dispersion of Pt catalysts when electrodeposited. In the SIAR method a Pd activator can be used to provide uniform nucleation sites for Pt and leads to increased Pt loading on the H-TNTs. Furthermore, fabricated Pt nanoparticles with a diameter of 3.4 nm are located uniformly around the pretreated H-TNT support. The as-prepared and highly ordered electrodes exhibit excellent stability during accelerated durability tests, particularly for the H-TNT-loaded Pt catalysts that have been annealed in ultrahigh purity H2 for a second time. There is minimal decrease in the electrochemical surface area of the as-prepared electrode after 1000 cycles compared to a 68 % decrease for the commercial JM 20 % Pt/C electrode after 800 cycles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that after the H-TNT-loaded Pt catalysts are annealed in H2 for the second time, the strong metal-support interaction between the H-TNTs and the Pt catalysts enhances the electrochemical stability of the electrodes. Fuel-cell testing shows that the power density reaches a maximum of 500 mWcm(-2) when this highly ordered electrode is used as the anode. When used as the cathode in a fuel cell with extra-low Pt loading, the new electrode generates a specific power density of 2.68 kWg(Pt) (-1) . It is indicated that H-TNT arrays, which have highly ordered nanostructures, could be used as ordered electrode supports. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanoparticle shuttle memory

DOEpatents

Zettl, Alex Karlwalter [Kensington, CA

2012-03-06

A device for storing data using nanoparticle shuttle memory having a nanotube. The nanotube has a first end and a second end. A first electrode is electrically connected to the first end of the nanotube. A second electrode is electrically connected to the second end of the nanotube. The nanotube has an enclosed nanoparticle shuttle. A switched voltage source is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, whereby a voltage may be controllably applied across the nanotube. A resistance meter is also connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, whereby the electrical resistance across the nanotube can be determined.

Fluidic nanotubes and devices

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong [Berkeley, CA; He, Rongrui [El Cerrito, CA; Goldberger, Joshua [Berkeley, CA; Fan, Rong [El Cerrito, CA; Wu, Yiying [Albany, CA; Li, Deyu [Albany, CA; Majumdar, Arun [Orinda, CA

2008-04-08

Fluidic nanotube devices are described in which a hydrophilic, non-carbon nanotube, has its ends fluidly coupled to reservoirs. Source and drain contacts are connected to opposing ends of the nanotube, or within each reservoir near the opening of the nanotube. The passage of molecular species can be sensed by measuring current flow (source-drain, ionic, or combination). The tube interior can be functionalized by joining binding molecules so that different molecular species can be sensed by detecting current changes. The nanotube may be a semiconductor, wherein a tubular transistor is formed. A gate electrode can be attached between source and drain to control current flow and ionic flow. By way of example an electrophoretic array embodiment is described, integrating MEMs switches. A variety of applications are described, such as: nanopores, nanocapillary devices, nanoelectrophoretic, DNA sequence detectors, immunosensors, thermoelectric devices, photonic devices, nanoscale fluidic bioseparators, imaging devices, and so forth.

Fluidic nanotubes and devices

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong; He, Rongrui; Goldberger, Joshua; Fan, Rong; Wu, Yiying; Li, Deyu; Majumdar, Arun

2010-01-10

Fluidic nanotube devices are described in which a hydrophilic, non-carbon nanotube, has its ends fluidly coupled to reservoirs. Source and drain contacts are connected to opposing ends of the nanotube, or within each reservoir near the opening of the nanotube. The passage of molecular species can be sensed by measuring current flow (source-drain, ionic, or combination). The tube interior can be functionalized by joining binding molecules so that different molecular species can be sensed by detecting current changes. The nanotube may be a semiconductor, wherein a tubular transistor is formed. A gate electrode can be attached between source and drain to control current flow and ionic flow. By way of example an electrophoretic array embodiment is described, integrating MEMs switches. A variety of applications are described, such as: nanopores, nanocapillary devices, nanoelectrophoretic, DNA sequence detectors, immunosensors, thermoelectric devices, photonic devices, nanoscale fluidic bioseparators, imaging devices, and so forth.

Lipid nanotube or nanowire sensor

DOEpatents

Noy, Aleksandr [Belmont, CA; Bakajin, Olgica [San Leandro, CA; Letant, Sonia [Livermore, CA; Stadermann, Michael [Dublin, CA; Artyukhin, Alexander B [Menlo Park, CA

2009-06-09

A sensor apparatus comprising a nanotube or nanowire, a lipid bilayer around the nanotube or nanowire, and a sensing element connected to the lipid bilayer. Also a biosensor apparatus comprising a gate electrode; a source electrode; a drain electrode; a nanotube or nanowire operatively connected to the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode; a lipid bilayer around the nanotube or nanowire, and a sensing element connected to the lipid bilayer.

Lipid nanotube or nanowire sensor

DOEpatents

Noy, Aleksandr [Belmont, CA; Bakajin, Olgica [San Leandro, CA; Letant, Sonia [Livermore, CA; Stadermann, Michael [Dublin, CA; Artyukhin, Alexander B [Menlo Park, CA

2010-06-29

A sensor apparatus comprising a nanotube or nanowire, a lipid bilayer around the nanotube or nanowire, and a sensing element connected to the lipid bilayer. Also a biosensor apparatus comprising a gate electrode; a source electrode; a drain electrode; a nanotube or nanowire operatively connected to the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode; a lipid bilayer around the nanotube or nanowire, and a sensing element connected to the lipid bilayer.

Generic Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Branches on Metal Oxide Arrays Exhibiting Stable High-Rate and Long-Cycle Sodium-Ion Storage.

PubMed

Xia, Xinhui; Chao, Dongliang; Zhang, Yongqi; Zhan, Jiye; Zhong, Yu; Wang, Xiuli; Wang, Yadong; Shen, Ze Xiang; Tu, Jiangping; Fan, Hong Jin

2016-06-01

A new and generic strategy to construct interwoven carbon nanotube (CNT) branches on various metal oxide nanostructure arrays (exemplified by V2 O3 nanoflakes, Co3 O4 nanowires, Co3 O4 -CoTiO3 composite nanotubes, and ZnO microrods), in order to enhance their electrochemical performance, is demonstrated for the first time. In the second part, the V2 O3 /CNTs core/branch composite arrays as the host for Na(+) storage are investigated in detail. This V2 O3 /CNTs hybrid electrode achieves a reversible charge storage capacity of 612 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) and outstanding high-rate cycling stability (a capacity retention of 100% after 6000 cycles at 2 A g(-1) , and 70% after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g(-1) ). Kinetics analysis reveals that the Na(+) storage is a pseudocapacitive dominating process and the CNTs improve the levels of pseudocapacitive energy by providing a conductive network. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A vertically aligned carbon nanotube-based impedance sensing biosensor for rapid and high sensitive detection of cancer cells.

PubMed

Abdolahad, Mohammad; Taghinejad, Mohammad; Taghinejad, Hossein; Janmaleki, Mohsen; Mohajerzadeh, Shams

2012-03-21

A novel vertically aligned carbon nanotube based electrical cell impedance sensing biosensor (CNT-ECIS) was demonstrated for the first time as a more rapid, sensitive and specific device for the detection of cancer cells. This biosensor is based on the fast entrapment of cancer cells on vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays and leads to mechanical and electrical interactions between CNT tips and entrapped cell membranes, changing the impedance of the biosensor. CNT-ECIS was fabricated through a photolithography process on Ni/SiO(2)/Si layers. Carbon nanotube arrays have been grown on 9 nm thick patterned Ni microelectrodes by DC-PECVD. SW48 colon cancer cells were passed over the surface of CNT covered electrodes to be specifically entrapped on elastic nanotube beams. CNT arrays act as both adhesive and conductive agents and impedance changes occurred as fast as 30 s (for whole entrapment and signaling processes). CNT-ECIS detected the cancer cells with the concentration as low as 4000 cells cm(-2) on its surface and a sensitivity of 1.7 × 10(-3)Ω cm(2). Time and cell efficiency factor (TEF and CEF) parameters were defined which describe the sensor's rapidness and resolution, respectively. TEF and CEF of CNT-ECIS were much higher than other cell based electrical biosensors which are compared in this paper.

Thin layer of ordered boron-doped TiO2 nanotubes fabricated in a novel type of electrolyte and characterized by remarkably improved photoactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siuzdak, Katarzyna; Szkoda, Mariusz; Lisowska-Oleksiak, Anna; Grochowska, Katarzyna; Karczewski, Jakub; Ryl, Jacek

2015-12-01

This paper reports a novel method of boron doped titania nanotube arrays preparation by electrochemical anodization in electrolyte containing boron precursor - boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF3 C4H10O), simultaneously acting as an anodizing agent. A pure, ordered TiO2 nanotubes array, as a reference sample, was also prepared in solution containing a standard etching compound: ammonium fluoride. The doped and pure titania were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence emission spectroscopy and by means of electrochemical methods. The B-doping decidedly shifts the absorption edge of TiO2 nanotubes towards the visible light region and significantly inhibits the radiative recombination processes. Despite the fact that the doped sample is characterized by 4.6 lower real surface area when compared to pure titania, it leads to the decomposition of methylene blue in 93%, that is over 2.3 times higher than the degradation efficiency exhibited by the undoped material. The formation rate of hydroxyl radicals (rad OH) upon illumination significantly favours boron doped titania as a photocatalytic material. Moreover, the simple doping of TiO2 nanotubes array results in the enhancement of generated photocurrent from 120 μA/cm2 to 350 μA/cm2 registered for undoped and doped electrode, respectively.

Thermoacoustic chips with carbon nanotube thin yarn arrays.

PubMed

Wei, Yang; Lin, Xiaoyang; Jiang, Kaili; Liu, Peng; Li, Qunqing; Fan, Shoushan

2013-10-09

Aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) films drawn from CNT arrays have shown the potential as thermoacoustic loudspeakers. CNT thermoacoustic chips with robust structures are proposed to promote the applications. The silicon-based chips can play sound and fascinating rhythms by feeding alternating currents and audio signal to the suspending CNT thin yarn arrays across grooves in them. In additional to the thin yarns, experiments further revealed more essential elements of the chips, the groove depth and the interdigital electrodes. The sound pressure depends on the depth of the grooves, and the thermal wavelength can be introduced to define the influence-free depth. The interdigital fingers can effectively reduce the driving voltage, making the chips safe and easy to use. The chips were successfully assembled into earphones and have been working stably for about one year. The thermoacoustic chips can find many applications in consumer electronics and possibly improve the audiovisual experience.

Nanomolecular gas sensor architectures based on functionalized carbon nanotubes for vapor detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hines, Deon; Zhang, Henan; Rümmeli, Mark H.; Adebimpe, David; Akins, Daniel L.

2015-05-01

There is enormous interest in detection of simple & complex odors by mean of electronic instrumentation. Specifically, our work focuses on creating derivatized-nanotube-based "electronic noses" for the detection and identification of gases, and other materials. We have grafted single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with an array of electron-donating and electron withdrawing moieties and have characterized some of the physicochemical properties of the modified nanotubes. Gas sensing elements have been fabricated by spin coating the functionalized nanotubes onto interdigitated electrodes (IDE's), creating an array of sensors. Each element in the sensor array can contain a different functionalized matrix. This facilitates the construction of chemical sensor arrays with high selectivity and sensitivity; a methodology that mimics the mammalian olfactory system. Exposure of these coated IDEs to organic vapors and the successful classification of the data obtained under DC monitoring, indicate that the system can function as gas sensors of high repeatability and selectivity for a wide range of common analytes. Since the detection of explosive materials is also of concern in this research, our next phase focuses on explosives such as, TNT, RDX, and Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP). Sensor data from individual detection are assessed on their own individual merits, after which they are amalgamated and reclassified to present each vapor as unique data point on a 2-dimensional map and with minimum loss of information. This approach can assist the nation's need for a technology to defeat IEDs through the use of methods that detect unique chemical signatures associated with explosive molecules and byproducts.

Variable deflection response of sensitive CNT-on-fiber artificial hair sensors from CNT synthesis in high aspect ratio microcavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slinker, Keith; Maschmann, Matthew R.; Kondash, Corey; Severin, Benjamin; Phillips, David; Dickinson, Benjamin T.; Reich, Gregory; Baur, Jeff

2015-03-01

Crickets, locusts, bats, and many other animals detect changes in their environment with distributed arrays of flow-sensitive hairs. Here we discuss the fabrication and characterization of a relatively new class of pore-based, artificial hair sensors that take advantage of the mechanical properties of structural microfibers and the electromechanical properties of self-aligned carbon nanotube arrays to rapidly transduce changes in low speed air flow. The radially aligned nanotubes are able to be synthesized along the length of the fibers inside the high aspect ratio cavity between the fiber surface and the wall of a microcapillary pore. The growth self-positions the fibers within the capillary and forms a conductive path between detection electrodes. As the hair is deflected, nanotubes are compressed to produce a typical resistance change of 1-5% per m/s of air speed which we believe are the highest sensitivities reported for air velocities less than 10 m/s. The quasi-static response of the sensors to point loads is compared to that from the distributed loads of air flow. A plane wave tube is used to measure their dynamic response when perturbed at acoustic frequencies. Correlation of the nanotube height profile inside the capillary to a diffusion transport model suggests that the nanotube arrays can be controllably tapered along the fiber. Like their biological counterparts, many applications can be envisioned for artificial hair sensors by tailoring their individual response and incorporating them into arrays for detecting spatio-temporal flow patterns over rigid surfaces such as aircraft.

Thermionic emission and tunneling at carbon nanotube-organic semiconductor interface.

PubMed

Sarker, Biddut K; Khondaker, Saiful I

2012-06-26

We study the charge carrier injection mechanism across the carbon nanotube (CNT)-organic semiconductor interface using a densely aligned carbon nanotube array as electrode and pentacene as organic semiconductor. The current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics measured at different temperatures show a transition from a thermal emission mechanism at high temperature (above 200 K) to a tunneling mechanism at low temperature (below 200 K). A barrier height of ∼0.16 eV is calculated from the thermal emission regime, which is much lower compared to the metal/pentacene devices. At low temperatures, the J-V curves exhibit a direct tunneling mechanism at low bias, corresponding to a trapezoidal barrier, while at high bias the mechanism is well described by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, which corresponds to a triangular barrier. A transition from direct tunneling to Fowler-Nordheim tunneling further signifies a small injection barrier at the CNT/pentacene interface. Our results presented here are the first direct experimental evidence of low charge carrier injection barrier between CNT electrodes and an organic semiconductor and are a significant step forward in realizing the overall goal of using CNT electrodes in organic electronics.

Organic light emitting diodes with structured electrodes

DOEpatents

Mao, Samuel S.; Liu, Gao; Johnson, Stephen G.

2012-12-04

A cathode that contain nanostructures that extend into the organic layer of an OLED has been described. The cathode can have an array of nanotubes or a layer of nanoclusters extending out from its surface. In another arrangement, the cathode is patterned and etched to form protruding nanostructures using a standard lithographic process. Various methods for fabricating these structures are provided, all of which are compatible with large-scale manufacturing. OLEDs made with these novel electrodes have greatly enhanced electron injection, have good environmental stability.

Ionization Gas Sensor using Aligned Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Array

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kermany, A. R.; Mohamed, N. M.; Singh, B. S. M.

2011-05-25

The challenge with current conventional gas sensors which are operating using semiconducting oxides is their size. After the introduction of nanotechnology and in order to reduce the dimension and consequently the power consumption and cost, new materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being introduced. From previous works and characterization results, it was proven that the CNTs based gas sensor has better sensitivity, selectivity and faster response time in compared with semiconducting oxides based gas sensors. As in this work, a fabrication and successful testing of an ionization-based gas sensor using aligned Multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) as sensing element is discussed,more » in which MWCNTs array and Al film are used as anode and cathode plates respectively with electrode separation ranging from 80 {mu}m to 140 {mu}m. Aligned MWCNTs array was incorporated into a sensor configuration in the gas chamber for testing of gases such as argon, air, and mixed gas of 2%H{sub 2} in air. Obtained results show that among the three gases, argon has the lowest breakdown voltage whilst air has the highest value and the breakdown voltage was found to decrease as the electrode spacing was reduced from 140 {mu}m to 80 {mu}m for all three gases.« less

Solution-processed single-wall carbon nanotube transistor arrays for wearable display backplanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Byeong-Cheol; Ha, Tae-Jun

2018-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate solution-processed single-wall carbon nanotube thin-film transistor (SWCNT-TFT) arrays with polymeric gate dielectrics on the polymeric substrates for wearable display backplanes, which can be directly attached to the human body. The optimized SWCNT-TFTs without any buffer layer on flexible substrates exhibit a linear field-effect mobility of 1.5cm2/V-s and a threshold voltage of around 0V. The statistical plot of the key device metrics extracted from 35 SWCNT-TFTs which were fabricated in different batches at different times conclusively support that we successfully demonstrated high-performance solution-processed SWCNT-TFT arrays which demand excellent uniformity in the device performance. We also investigate the operational stability of wearable SWCNT-TFT arrays against an applied strain of up to 40%, which is the essential for a harsh degree of strain on human body. We believe that the demonstration of flexible SWCNT-TFT arrays which were fabricated by all solution-process except the deposition of metal electrodes at process temperature below 130oC can open up new routes for wearable display backplanes.

Ultra-Low-Power Smart Electronic Nose System Based on Three-Dimensional Tin Oxide Nanotube Arrays.

PubMed

Chen, Jiaqi; Chen, Zhuo; Boussaid, Farid; Zhang, Daquan; Pan, Xiaofang; Zhao, Huijuan; Bermak, Amine; Tsui, Chi-Ying; Wang, Xinran; Fan, Zhiyong

2018-06-04

In this work, we present a high-performance smart electronic nose (E-nose) system consisting of a multiplexed tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanotube sensor array, read-out circuit, wireless data transmission unit, mobile phone receiver, and data processing application (App). Using the designed nanotube sensor device structure in conjunction with multiple electrode materials, high-sensitivity gas detection and discrimination have been achieved at room temperature, enabling a 1000 times reduction of the sensor's power consumption as compared to a conventional device using thin film SnO 2 . The experimental results demonstrate that the developed E-nose can identify indoor target gases using a simple vector-matching gas recognition algorithm. In addition, the fabricated E-nose has achieved state-of-the-art sensitivity for H 2 and benzene detection at room temperature with metal oxide sensors. Such a smart E-nose system can address the imperative needs for distributed environmental monitoring in smart homes, smart buildings, and smart cities.

Dye-sensitized solar cells employing doubly or singly open-ended TiO2 nanotube arrays: structural geometry and charge transport.

PubMed

Choi, Jongmin; Song, Seulki; Kang, Gyeongho; Park, Taiho

2014-09-10

We systematically investigated the charge transport properties of doubly or singly open-ended TiO2 nanotube arrays (DNT and SNT, respectively) for their utility as electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The SNT or DNT arrays were transferred in a bottom-up (B-up) or top-up (T-up) configuration onto a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate onto which had been deposited a 2 μm thick TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) interlayer. This process yielded four types of DSCs prepared with SNTs (B-up or T-up) or DNT (B-up or T-up). The photovoltaic performances of these DSCs were analyzed by measuring the dependence of the charge transport on the DSC geometry. High resolution scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to characterize the electrode cross sections, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to characterize the electrical connection at the interface between the NT array and the TiO2 NP interlayer. We examined the effects of decorating the DNT or SNT arrays with small NPs (sNP@DNT and sNP@SNT, respectively) in an effort to increase the extent of dye loading. The DNT arrays decorated with small NPs performed better than the decorated SNT arrays, most likely because the Ti(OH)4 precursor solution flowed freely into the array through the open ends of the NTs in the DNT case but not in the SNT case. The sNP@DNT-based DSC exhibited a better PCE (10%) compared to the sNP@SNT-based DSCs (6.8%) because the electrolyte solution flow was not restricted, direct electron transport though the NT arrays was possible, the electrical connection at the interface between the NT array and the TiO2 NP interlayer was good, and the array provided efficient light harvesting.

Miniaturized pH Sensors Based on Zinc Oxide Nanotubes/Nanorods

PubMed Central

Fulati, Alimujiang; Ali, Syed M.Usman; Riaz, Muhammad; Amin, Gul; Nur, Omer; Willander, Magnus

2009-01-01

ZnO nanotubes and nanorods grown on gold thin film were used to create pH sensor devices. The developed ZnO nanotube and nanorod pH sensors display good reproducibility, repeatability and long-term stability and exhibit a pH-dependent electrochemical potential difference versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode over a large dynamic pH range. We found the ZnO nanotubes provide sensitivity as high as twice that of the ZnO nanorods, which can be ascribed to the fact that small dimensional ZnO nanotubes have a higher level of surface and subsurface oxygen vacancies and provide a larger effective surface area with higher surface-to-volume ratio as compared to ZnO nanorods, thus affording the ZnO nanotube pH sensor a higher sensitivity. Experimental results indicate ZnO nanotubes can be used in pH sensor applications with improved performance. Moreover, the ZnO nanotube arrays may find potential application as a novel material for measurements of intracellular biochemical species within single living cells. PMID:22291545

Carbon nanotube substrates and catalyzed hot stamp for polishing and patterning the substrates

DOEpatents

Wang, Yuhuang [Evanston, IL; Hauge, Robert H [Houston, TX; Schmidt, Howard K [Houston, TX; Kim, Myung Jong [Houston, TX; Kittrell, W Carter [Houston, TX

2009-09-08

The present invention is generally directed to catalyzed hot stamp methods for polishing and/or patterning carbon nanotube-containing substrates. In some embodiments, the substrate, as a carbon nanotube fiber end, is brought into contact with a hot stamp (typically at 200-800.degree. C.), and is kept in contact with the hot stamp until the morphology/patterns on the hot stamp have been transferred to the substrate. In some embodiments, the hot stamp is made of material comprising one or more transition metals (Fe, Ni, Co, Pt, Ag, Au, etc.), which can catalyze the etching reaction of carbon with H.sub.2, CO.sub.2, H.sub.2O, and/or O.sub.2. Such methods can (1) polish the carbon nanotube-containing substrate with a microscopically smooth finish, and/or (2) transfer pre-defined patterns from the hot stamp to the substrate. Such polished or patterned carbon nanotube substrates can find application as carbon nanotube electrodes, field emitters, and field emitter arrays for displays and electron sources.

Wire-shaped perovskite solar cell based on TiO2 nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoyan; Kulkarni, Sneha A.; Li, Zhen; Xu, Wenjing; Batabyal, Sudip K.; Zhang, Sam; Cao, Anyuan; Wong, Lydia Helena

2016-05-01

In this work, a wire-shaped perovskite solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays is demonstrated for the first time by integrating a perovskite absorber on TNT-coated Ti wire. Anodization was adopted for the conformal growth of TNTs on Ti wire, together with the simultaneous formation of a compact TiO2 layer. A sequential step dipping process is employed to produce a uniform and compact perovskite layer on top of TNTs with conformal coverage as the efficient light absorber. Transparent carbon nanotube film is wrapped around Ti wire as the hole collector and counter electrode. The integrated perovskite solar cell wire by facile fabrication approaches shows a promising future in portable and wearable textile electronics.

Fabrication of an artificial nanosucker device with a large area nanotube array of metallic glass.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Ting; Manivannan, Karthikeyan; Yu, Chia-Chi; Chu, Jinn P; Chen, Jem-Kun

2018-01-18

The concurrent attachment and detachment movements of geckos on virtually any type of surface via their foot pads have inspired us to develop a thermal device with numerous arrangements of a multi-layer thin film together with electrodes that can help modify the temperature of the surface via application of a voltage. A sequential fabrication process was employed on a large-scale integration to generate well-defined contact hole arrays of photoresist for use as templates on the electrode-based device. The photoresist templates were then subjected to sputter deposition of the metallic glass Zr 55 Cu 30 Al 10 Ni 5 . Consequently, a metallic glass nanotube (MGNT) array having a nominal wall thickness of 100 nm was obtained after removal of the photoresist template. When a water droplet was placed on the MGNT array, close nanochambers of metallic glass were formed. By applying voltage, the surface was heated to increase the pressure inside the nanochambers; this generated an expanding force that raised the droplet; thus, the static water contact angle (SWCA) was increased. In contrast, a sucking force was generated during surface cooling, which decreased the SWCA. Our fabrication strategy exploits the MGNT array surface as nanosuckers, which can mimic the climbing aptitude of geckos as they attach to (>10 N m -2 ) and detach from (0.26 N m -2 ) surfaces at 0.5 and 3 V of applied voltage, respectively. Thus, the climbing aptitude of geckos can be mimicked by employing the processing strategy presented herein for the development of artificial foot pads.

Controllable Synthesis of TiO2@Fe2O3 Core-Shell Nanotube Arrays with Double-Wall Coating as Superb Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes

PubMed Central

Zhong, Yan; Ma, Yifan; Guo, Qiubo; Liu, Jiaqi; Wang, Yadong; Yang, Mei; Xia, Hui

2017-01-01

Highlighted by the safe operation and stable performances, titanium oxides (TiO2) are deemed as promising candidates for next generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the pervasively low capacity is casting shadow on desirable electrochemical behaviors and obscuring their practical applications. In this work, we reported a unique template-assisted and two-step atomic layer deposition (ALD) method to achieve TiO2@Fe2O3 core-shell nanotube arrays with hollow interior and double-wall coating. The as-prepared architecture combines both merits of the high specific capacity of Fe2O3 and structural stability of TiO2 backbone. Owing to the nanotubular structural advantages integrating facile strain relaxation as well as rapid ion and electron transport, the TiO2@Fe2O3 nanotube arrays with a high mass loading of Fe2O3 attained desirable capacity of ~520 mA h g−1, exhibiting both good rate capability under uprated current density of 10 A g−1 and especially enhanced cycle stability (~450 mA h g−1 after 600 cycles), outclassing most reported TiO2@metal oxide composites. The results not only provide a new avenue for hybrid core-shell nanotube formation, but also offer an insight for rational design of advanced electrode materials for LIBs. PMID:28098237

When Al-Doped Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheets Meet Nickel Nanotube Arrays: A Highly Efficient and Stable Cathode for Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Huang, Jun; Wei, Junchao; Xiao, Yingbo; Xu, Yazhou; Xiao, Yujuan; Wang, Ying; Tan, Licheng; Yuan, Kai; Chen, Yiwang

2018-03-27

Although cobalt sulfide is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors, its wide application is limited by relative poor electrochemical performance, low electrical conductivity, and inefficient nanostructure. Here, we demonstrated that the electrochemical activity of cobalt sulfide could be significantly improved by Al doping. We designed and fabricated hierarchical core-branch Al-doped cobalt sulfide nanosheets anchored on Ni nanotube arrays combined with carbon cloth (denoted as CC/H-Ni@Al-Co-S) as an excellent self-standing cathode for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). The combination of structural and compositional advantages endows the CC/H-Ni@Al-Co-S electrode with superior electrochemical performance with high specific capacitance (1830 F g -1 /2434 F g -1 at 5 mV s -1 /1 A g -1 ) and excellent rate capability (57.2%/72.3% retention at 1000 mV s -1 /100 A g -1 ). The corresponding all-solid-state ASCs with CC/H-Ni@Al-Co-S and multilayer graphene/CNT film as cathode and anode, respectively, achieve a high energy density up to 65.7 W h kg -1 as well as superb cycling stability (90.6% retention after 10 000 cycles). Moreover, the ASCs also exhibit good flexibility and stability under different bending conditions. This work provides a general, effective route to prepare high-performance electrode materials for flexible all-solid-state energy storage devices.

New materials for old problems: What can nanomaterials do for biology and neuroscience?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivatsan, Malathi; Badanavalu, Mahadevappa P.; Yancey, Justin; Xie, Jining; Chen, Linfeng; Hankins, Philip T.; Yoon, Hargsoon; Varadan, Vijay K.

2009-03-01

The emerging field of nanotechnology offers the development of new materials and methods for crucial neuroscience applications namely (a) promoting survival and growth of the neurons, and (b) monitoring physiological signals generated in the nervous system such as excitation, synaptic transmission, release of neurotransmitter molecules and cell-to-cell communication. Such bio-devices will have several novel applications in basic science, laboratory analysis and therapeutic treatments. Our goals in this field of research include (a) development of new biocompatible substrates to guide and promote neuronal growth along specific pathways; (b) designing a neuron-friendly, bio-molecule delivery system for neuroprotection; (c) monitoring of electrical activity from neuron and also from neuronal networks; (d) determining the diffusion and intracellular localization of nanomaterial interacting with neurons at high resolution; and (e) detection of release of neurotransmitter molecules by means of newly designed nanosensors. Here we describe the fabrication and use of magnetic nanotubes and nanowire electrode arrays in studies using a cell culture model of neuronally differentiating rat pheochromocytoma (PC 12) cells. The magnetic nanotubes were fabricated by a template method yielding hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanotubes. These nanotubes were coupled with nerve growth factor (NGF). Vertically aligned nanowires were fabricated on glass substrates using the lithography-assisted template bonding (LATB) method. Rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were cultured on these nanotubes and polylysine coated nanowire electrodes. Our results showed that magnetic nanotube bound NGF was available to PC12 cells as they showed significant differentiation into neurons. PC12 cells growing on nanowires in the presence of NGF differentiated into neurons capable of synthesis and release of dopamine upon stimulation. The neurons grew healthy neurites appearing to form synapses with other neurons in the dish. These results show that the magnetic nanotubes were capable of delivering neurotrophic molecules and the nanowire electrodes are neuron-friendly, promote cell to cell communication and can be used as bio-sensors in the nervous system.

Derivatization of single-walled carbon nanotubes with redox mediator for biocatalytic oxygen electrodes.

PubMed

Sadowska, K; Stolarczyk, K; Biernat, J F; Roberts, K P; Rogalski, J; Bilewicz, R

2010-11-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were covalently modified with a redox mediator derived from 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and implemented in the construction of electrodes for biocatalytic oxygen reduction. The procedure is based on: covalent bonding of mediator to nanotubes, placing the nanotubes directly on the carbon electrode surface and covering the nanostructured electrode with a Nafion film containing laccase as the biocatalyst. The modified electrode is stable and the problem of mediator (ABTS) leaking from the film is eliminated by binding it covalently to the nanotubes. Three different synthetic approaches were used to obtain ABTS-modified carbon nanotubes. Nanotubes were modified at ends/defect sites or on the nanotube sidewalls and characterized by Raman spectroscopy, TGA and electrochemistry. The accessibility of differently located ABTS units by the laccase active center and mediation of electron transfer were studied by cyclic voltammetry. The surface concentrations of ABTS groups electrically connected with the electrode were compared for each of the electrodes based on the charges of the voltammetric peaks recorded in the deaerated solution. The nanotube modification procedure giving the best parameters of the catalytic process was selected. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/carbon nanotube neural electrode coatings for stimulation in the dorsal root ganglion

PubMed Central

Kolarcik, Christi L.; Catt, Kasey; Rost, Erika; Albrecht, Ingrid N.; Bourbeau, Dennis; Du, Zhanhong; Kozai, Takashi D.Y.; Luo, Xiliang; Weber, Douglas J.; Cui, X. Tracy

2015-01-01

Objective The dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is an attractive target for implanting neural electrode arrays that restore sensory function or provide therapy via stimulation. However, penetrating microelectrodes designed for these applications are small and deliver low currents. For long-term performance of microstimulation devices, novel coating materials are needed in part to decrease impedance values at the electrode-tissue interface and to increase charge storage capacity. Approach Conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated on the electrode surface and doped with the anti-inflammatory drug, dexamethasone. Electrode characteristics and the tissue reaction around neural electrodes as the result of stimulation, coating and drug release were characterized. Hematoxylin and eosin staining along with antibodies recognizing Iba1 (microglia/macrophages), NF200 (neuronal axons), NeuN (neurons), vimentin (fibroblasts), caspase-3 (cell death) and L1 (neural cell adhesion molecule) were used. Quantitative image analyses were performed using MATLAB. Main Results Our results indicate that coated microelectrodes have lower in vitro and in vivo impedance values. Significantly less neuronal death/damage was observed with coated electrodes as compared to non-coated controls. The inflammatory response with the PEDOT/CNT-coated electrodes was also reduced. Significance This study is the first to report on the utility of these coatings in stimulation applications. Our results indicate PEDOT/CNT coatings may be valuable additions to implantable electrodes used as therapeutic modalities. PMID:25485675

Evaluation of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/carbon nanotube neural electrode coatings for stimulation in the dorsal root ganglion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolarcik, Christi L.; Catt, Kasey; Rost, Erika; Albrecht, Ingrid N.; Bourbeau, Dennis; Du, Zhanhong; Kozai, Takashi D. Y.; Luo, Xiliang; Weber, Douglas J.; Cui, X. Tracy

2015-02-01

Objective. The dorsal root ganglion is an attractive target for implanting neural electrode arrays that restore sensory function or provide therapy via stimulation. However, penetrating microelectrodes designed for these applications are small and deliver low currents. For long-term performance of microstimulation devices, novel coating materials are needed in part to decrease impedance values at the electrode-tissue interface and to increase charge storage capacity. Approach. Conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were coated on the electrode surface and doped with the anti-inflammatory drug, dexamethasone. Electrode characteristics and the tissue reaction around neural electrodes as a result of stimulation, coating and drug release were characterized. Hematoxylin and eosin staining along with antibodies recognizing Iba1 (microglia/macrophages), NF200 (neuronal axons), NeuN (neurons), vimentin (fibroblasts), caspase-3 (cell death) and L1 (neural cell adhesion molecule) were used. Quantitative image analyses were performed using MATLAB. Main results. Our results indicate that coated microelectrodes have lower in vitro and in vivo impedance values. Significantly less neuronal death/damage was observed with coated electrodes as compared to non-coated controls. The inflammatory response with the PEDOT/CNT-coated electrodes was also reduced. Significance. This study is the first to report on the utility of these coatings in stimulation applications. Our results indicate PEDOT/CNT coatings may be valuable additions to implantable electrodes used as therapeutic modalities.

Oriented TiO2 nanotubes as a lithium metal storage medium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Jae-Hun; Kang, Hee-Kook; Woo, Sang-Gil

2014-07-01

A new strategy for suppressing dendritic lithium growth in rechargeable lithium metal batteries is introduced, in which TiO2 nanotube (NT) array electrodes prepared by anodization are used as a metallic lithium storage medium. During the first charge process, lithium ions are inserted into the crystal structure of the TiO2 NT arrays, and then, lithium metal is deposited on the surfaces of the NT arrays, i.e., in the NT pores and between NT walls. From the second cycle onward, the TiO2 material is used as lithium ion pathways, which results in the effective current distribution for lithium deposition and prevents disintegrationmore » of the deposited metallic lithium. Compared to a Li(Cu foil)-LiCoO2 cell, the Li(TiO2 NT)-LiCoO2 cell exhibits enhanced cycling efficiency. This new concept will enable other 3D structured negative active materials to be used as lithium metal storage media for lithium metal batteries.« less

Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance of anodic TiO(2) nanotube arrays by surface passivation.

PubMed

Gui, Qunfang; Xu, Zhen; Zhang, Haifeng; Cheng, Chuanwei; Zhu, Xufei; Yin, Min; Song, Ye; Lu, Linfeng; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Li, Dongdong

2014-10-08

One-dimensional anodic titanium oxide nanotube (TONT) arrays provide a direct pathway for charge transport, and thus hold great potential as working electrodes for electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. However, the prominent surface recombination due to the large amount surface defects hinders the performance improvement. In this work, the surface states of TONTs were passivated by conformal coating of high-quality Al2O3 onto the tubular structures using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The modified TONT films were subsequently employed as anodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The photocurrent (0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl) recorded under air mass 1.5 global illumination presented 0.8 times enhancement on the electrode with passivation coating. The reduction of surface recombination rate is responsible for the substantially improved performance, which is proposed to have originated from a decreased interface defect density in combination with a field-effect passivation induced by a negative fixed charge in the Al2O3 shells. These results not only provide a physical insight into the passivation effect, but also can be utilized as a guideline to design other energy conversion devices.

Fabrication of high thermal conductivity arrays of carbon nanotubes and their composites

DOEpatents

Geohegan, David B [Knoxville, TN; Ivanov, Ilya N [Knoxville, TN; Puretzky, Alexander A [Knoxville, TN

2010-07-27

Methods and apparatus are described for fabrication of high thermal conductivity arrays of carbon nanotubes and their composites. A composition includes a vertically aligned nanotube array including a plurality of nanotubes characterized by a property across substantially all of the vertically aligned nanotube array. A method includes depositing a vertically aligned nanotube array that includes a plurality of nanotubes; and controlling a deposition rate of the vertically aligned nanotubes array as a function of an in situ monitored property of the plurality of nanotubes.

Conformal Fe3O4 sheath on aligned carbon nanotube scaffolds as high-performance anodes for lithium ion batteries.

PubMed

Wu, Yang; Wei, Yang; Wang, Jiaping; Jiang, Kaili; Fan, Shoushan

2013-02-13

A uniform Fe(3)O(4) sheath is magnetron sputtered onto aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) scaffolds that are directly drawn from CNT arrays. The Fe(3)O(4)-CNT composite electrode, with the size of Fe(3)O(4) confined to 5-7 nm, exhibits a high reversible capacity over 800 mAh g(-1) based on the total electrode mass, remarkable capacity retention, as well as high rate capability. The excellent performance is attributable to the superior electrical conductivity of CNTs, the uniform loading of Fe(3)O(4) sheath, and the structural retention of the composite anode on cycling. As Fe(3)O(4) is inexpensive and environmentally friendly, and the synthesis of Fe(3)O(4)-CNT is free of chemical wastes, this composite anode material holds considerable promise for high-performance lithium ion batteries.

Efficiently Visible-Light Driven Photoelectrocatalytic Oxidation of As(III) at Low Positive Biasing Using Pt/TiO2 Nanotube Electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Yanyan; Li, Yilian; Tian, Zhen; Wu, Yangling; Cui, Yanping

2016-01-01

A constant current deposition method was selected to load highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles on TiO2 nanotubes in this paper, to extend the excited spectrum range of TiO2-based photocatalysts to visible light. The morphology, elemental composition, and light absorption capability of as-obtained Pt/TiO2 nanotubes electrodes were characterized by FE-SEM, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), and UV-vis spectrometer. The photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of As(III) using a Pt/TiO2 nanotube arrays electrode under visible light ( λ > 420 nm) irradiation were investigated in a divided anode/cathode electrolytic tank. Compared with pure TiO2 which had no As(III) oxidation capacity under visible light, Pt/TiO2 nanotubes exhibited excellent visible-light photocatalytic performance toward As(III), even at dark condition. In anodic cell, As(III) could be oxidized with high efficiency by photoelectrochemical process with only 1.2 V positive biasing. Experimental results showed that photoelectrocatalytic oxidation process of As(III) could be well described by pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Rate constants depended on initial concentration of As(III), applied bias potential and solution pH. At the same time, it was interesting to find that in cathode cell, As(III) was also continuously oxidized to As(V). Furthermore, high-arsenic groundwater sample (25 m underground) with 0.32 mg/L As(III) and 0.35 mg/L As(V), which was collected from Daying Village, Datong basin, Northern China, could totally transform to As(V) after 200 min under visible light in this system.

Investigation of Lithium-Air Battery Discharge Product Formed on Carbon Nanotube and Nanofiber Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, Robert Revell, III

Carbon nanotubes have been actively investigated for integration in a wide variety of applications since their discovery over 20 years ago. Their myriad desirable material properties including exceptional mechanical strength, high thermal conductivities, large surface-to-volume ratios, and considerable electrical conductivities, which are attributable to a quantum mechanical ability to conduct electrons ballistically, have continued to motivate interest in this material system. While a variety of synthesis techniques exist, carbon nanotubes and nanofibers are most often conveniently synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which involves their catalyzed growth from transition metal nanoparticles. Vertically-aligned nanotube and nanofiber carpets produced using CVD have been utilized in a variety of applications including those related to energy storage. Li-air (Li-O2) batteries have received much interest recently because of their very high theoretical energy densities (3200 Wh/kgLi2O2 ). which make them ideal candidates for energy storage devices for future fully-electric vehicles. During operation of a Li-air battery O2 is reduced on the surface a porous air cathode, reacting with Li-ions to form lithium peroxide (Li-O2). Unlike the intercalation reactions of Li-ion batteries, discharge in a Li-air cell is analogous to an electrodeposition process involving the nucleation and growth of the depositing species on a foreign substrate. Carbon nanofiber electrodes were synthesized on porous substrates using a chemical vapor deposition process and then assembled into Li-O2 cells. The large surface to volume ratio and low density of carbon nanofiber electrodes were found to yield a very high gravimetric energy density in Li-O 2 cells, approaching 75% of the theoretical energy density for Li 2O2. Further, the carbon nanofiber electrodes were found to be excellent platforms for conducting ex situ electron microscopy investigations of the deposition Li2O2 phase, which was found to have unique disc and toroid morphologies. Subsequent studies were conducted using freestanding carpets of multi-walled CNT arrays, which were synthesized using a modified CVD process. The freestanding CNT arrays were used as a platform for studying the morphological evolution of Li2O2 discharge product as a function of rate and electrode capacity. SEM imaging investigations found that the Li2O 2 particles underwent a shape evolution from discs to toroids as their size increased. TEM imaging and diffraction studies showed that the microscale Li2O2 particles are composed of stacks of thin Li 2O2 crystallites and that splaying of the stacked crystallite array drives the observed disc to toroid transition. Modeling was performed to gain insights into the nucleation and growth processes involved during discharge in Li-O2 cells. The modeling study suggests that poor electronic conductivity of the depositing phase limits the rate capability obtainable in Li-O2 cells. Modeling can provide substantial insights into paths toward electrode optimization. Understanding the size and shape evolution of Li2O2 particles and engineering improved electrode architectures is critical to efficiently filling the electrode void volume during discharge thereby improving the volumetric energy density of Li-O2 batteries. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, libraries.mit.edu/docs - docs mit.edu)

Scaled-Up Production and Transport Applications of Graphitic Carbon Nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saviers, Kimberly R.

Graphitic carbon nanomaterials enhance the performance of engineered systems for energy harvesting and storage. However, commercial availability remains largely cost-prohibitive due to technical barriers to mass production. This thesis examines both the scaled-up production and energy transport applications of graphitic materials. Cost driven-production of graphitic petals is developed, carbon nanotube array thermal interface materials enhance waste heat energy harvesting, and microsupercapacitors are visually examined using a new electroreflectance measurement method. Graphitic materials have previously been synthesized using batch-style processing methods with small sample sizes, limiting their commercial viability. In order to increase production throughput, a roll-to-roll radio-frequency plasma chemical vapor deposition method is employed to continuously deposit graphitic petals on carbon fiber tow. In consideration of a full production framework, efficient and informative characterization methods in the form of electrical resistance and electrochemical capacitance are highlighted. To co-optimize the functional characteristics of the material, the processing conditions are comprehensively varied using a data-driven predictive design of experiments method. Repeatable and reliable production of graphitic materials will enable a host of creative graphene-based devices to emerge into the marketplace. Two such applications are discussed in the remaining chapters. Waste heat is most efficiently harvested at high temperatures, such as vehicle exhaust systems near 600°C. However, the resistance to heat flux at the interfaces between the harvesting device and its surroundings is detrimental to the system-level performance. To study the performance of thermal interface materials up to 700°C, a reference bar measurement method was designed. Design considerations are discussed and compared to past implementations, particularly regarding radiation heat flux and thermal expansion at these elevated temperatures. The microscale roughness of the contacting measurement surface is fully characterized, as it fundamentally affects the resulting thermal interface resistance. This comprehensive method for determining thermal interface resistance at high temperatures includes the physical equipment, data acquisition system, and data analysis method. Thermomechanical evaluation of carbon nanotube arrays up to 700°C has shown that the arrays provide mechanical flexibility to accommodate thermal expansion in a thermomechanically mismatched interface. To demonstrate the application of the arrays for improving energy generation, they were evaluated in conjunction with a thermoelectric module. The system-level efficiency increases significantly when a carbon nanotube array is applied to the hot side of the thermoelectric module. Additional materials characterization suggests the presence of a strong thermal connection between the carbon nanotubes and their catalyst layers, due to covalent bonding between them. In another application of harvesting waste heat, the carbon nanotube arrays increase the performance of a thermo-magnetically actuated shuttle device for solar photovoltaic cells due to decreased thermal interface resistance. Vertically-oriented graphitic petals have previously enhanced supercapacitor power density. Here, a spatiotemporal characterization method is developed and utilized to study ageing phenomena in microsupercapacitor electrodes. The electroreflectance method captures images of charge accumulation in the electrodes at varying states during each charge-discharge cycle. The method was exploited by imaging each an ideal device and a device with defects over an extended period of over four million cycles. The charge accumulation patterns over the ageing period relate to the physical transport behavior. During a single discharge cycle, one may visually observe the electrons drifting out of the electrode. Overall, the investigations herein determine the following. Continuous production of graphitic petals is possible and is optimized by considering the effect of plasma conditions on the resulting functional performance of the material. Thermal interface resistance may be measured at high temperatures in order to understand the viability of interface materials for energy harvesting applications. Carbon nanotube array thermal interface materials lead to increased energy generation from thermoelectric modules. Spatial electroreflectance measurements of microsupercapacitors lead to observation of decreased physical wetting between the electrode and electrolyte, impacting device performance. Looking forward, creative application of graphitic carbon nanomaterials, coupled with cost-driven production capability, will launch them into the commercial marketplace.

Carbon Nanotube Nanoelectrode Array as an Electronic Chip for Ultrasensitive Label-free DNA Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Jun; Koehne, Jessica; Chen, Hua; Cassell, Alan; Ng, Hou Tee; Fan, Wendy; Ye, Qi; Han, Jie; Meyyappan, M.

2003-01-01

A reliable nanoelectrode array based on vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) embedded in SiO2 is used for ultrasensitive DNA detection. Characteristic nanoelectrode behavior is observed using low-density MWNT arrays for measuring both bulk and surface immobilized redox species such as K4Fe(CN)6 and ferrocene derivatives. The open-end of MWNTs are found to present similar properties as graphite edge-plane electrodes with wide potential window, flexible chemical functionalities, and good biocompatibility. BRCA1 related oligonucleotide probes with 18 bp are selectively functionalized at the open ends of the nanotube array and specifically hybridized with oligonucleotide targets incorporated with a polyG tag. The guanine groups are employed as the signal moieties in the electrochemical measurements. R(bpy)(sup 2+, sub 3) mediator is used to further amplify the guanine oxidation signal. The hybridization of sub-attomoles of DNA targets is detected electrochemically by combining the MWNT nanoelectrode array with the R(bpy)(sup 2+, sub 3) amplification mechanism. This technique was employed for direct electrochemical detection of label-free PCR amplicon from a healthy donor through specific hybridization with the BRCA1 probe. The detection limit is estimated to be less than 1000 DNA molecules since abundant guanine bases in the PCR amplicon provides a large signal. This system provides a general platform for rapid molecular diagnostics in applications requiring ultrahigh sensitivity, high-degree of miniaturization, and simple sample preparation, and low-cost operation.

One-to-one neuron-electrode interfacing.

PubMed

Greenbaum, Alon; Anava, Sarit; Ayali, Amir; Shein, Mark; David-Pur, Moshe; Ben-Jacob, Eshel; Hanein, Yael

2009-09-15

The question of neuronal network development and organization is a principle one, which is closely related to aspects of neuronal and network form-function interactions. In-vitro two-dimensional neuronal cultures have proved to be an attractive and successful model for the study of these questions. Research is constraint however by the search for techniques aimed at culturing stable networks, whose electrical activity can be reliably and consistently monitored. A simple approach to form small interconnected neuronal circuits while achieving one-to-one neuron-electrode interfacing is presented. Locust neurons were cultured on a novel bio-chip consisting of carbon-nanotube multi-electrode-arrays. The cells self-organized to position themselves in close proximity to the bio-chip electrodes. The organization of the cells on the electrodes was analyzed using time lapse microscopy, fluorescence imaging and scanning electron microscopy. Electrical recordings from well identified cells is presented and discussed. The unique properties of the bio-chip and the specific neuron-nanotube interactions, together with the use of relatively large insect ganglion cells, allowed long-term stabilization (as long as 10 days) of predefined neural network topology as well as high fidelity electrical recording of individual neuron firing. This novel preparation opens ample opportunity for future investigation into key neurobiological questions and principles.

Improvement in glucose biosensing response of electrochemically grown polypyrrole nanotubes by incorporating crosslinked glucose oxidase.

PubMed

Palod, Pragya Agar; Singh, Vipul

2015-10-01

In this paper a novel enzymatic glucose biosensor has been reported in which platinum coated alumina membranes (Anodisc™s) have been employed as templates for the growth of polypyrrole (PPy) nanotube arrays using electrochemical polymerization. The PPy nanotube arrays were grown on Anodisc™s of pore diameter 100 nm using potentiostatic electropolymerization. In order to optimize the polymerization time, immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) was first performed using physical adsorption followed by measuring its biosensing response which was examined amperometrically for increasing concentrations of glucose. In order to further improve the sensing performance of the biosensor fabricated for optimum polymerization duration, enzyme immobilization was carried out using cross-linking with glutaraldehyde and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Approximately six fold enhancement in the sensitivity was observed in the fabricated electrodes. The biosensors also showed a wide range of linear operation (0.2-13 mM), limit of detection of 50 μM glucose concentration, excellent selectivity for glucose, notable reliability for real sample detection and substantially improved shelf life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Effective Interfacing with Retinal Tissue

PubMed Central

Shoval, Asaf; Adams, Christopher; David-Pur, Moshe; Shein, Mark; Hanein, Yael; Sernagor, Evelyne

2009-01-01

We have investigated the use of carbon nanotube coated microelectrodes as an interface material for retinal recording and stimulation applications. Test devices were micro-fabricated and consisted of 60, 30 μm diameter electrodes at spacing of 200 μm. These electrodes were coated via chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes, resulting in conducting, three dimensional surfaces with a high interfacial area. These attributes are important both for the quality of the cell-surface coupling as well as for electro-chemical interfacing efficiency. The entire chip was packaged to fit a commercial multielectrode recording and stimulation system. Electrical recordings of spontaneous spikes from whole-mount neonatal mouse retinas were consistently obtained minutes after retinas were placed over the electrodes, exhibiting typical bursting and propagating waves. Most importantly, the signals obtained with carbon nanotube electrodes have exceptionally high signal to noise ratio, reaching values as high as 75. Moreover, spikes are marked by a conspicuous gradual increase in amplitude recorded over a period of minutes to hours, suggesting improvement in cell-electrode coupling. This phenomenon is not observed in conventional commercial electrodes. Electrical stimulation using carbon nanotube electrodes was also achieved. We attribute the superior performances of the carbon nanotube electrodes to their three dimensional nature and the strong neuro-carbon nanotube affinity. The results presented here show the great potential of carbon nanotube electrodes for retinal interfacing applications. Specifically, our results demonstrate a route to achieve a reduction of the electrode down to few micrometers in order to achieve high efficacy local stimulation needed in retinal prosthetic devices. PMID:19430595

Improved performance of anodic titanium oxide nanotube arrays synthesized by sonoelectrochemical anodization method for dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peighambardoust, Naeimeh-Sadat; Khameneh-Asl, Shahin; Azimi, Hamid

2017-05-01

With rising demand for using solar cell systems for energy and environmental applications, considerable interest in anode materials of these cells has dramatically emerged. In this work, TiO2 nanotubular electrodes of varying thicknesses as anode were fabricated using effective process in a short time by sonoelectrochemical anodizing of Ti using an organic electrolyte, containing Na2[H2EDTA]. Long TiO2 nanotubes about 30-40 μm thick containing ordered hexagonal TiO2 were achieved through manipulating anodization parameters. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with different TiO2 electrode morphologies of varying thicknesses were compared to DSSCs based on TiO2 Nanoparticle electrodes. The effect of controlling parameters of the sonoelectrochemical process including surface preparation and anodizing time was investigated. This report brings to attention the desirable properties of the structurally oriented TiO2 for dye-sensitized solar cell applications. It found that the best cell performance was achieved about 3.14% in the case of using TiO2 NT layers that were treated by TiCl4 treatment.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) coated titanium oxide nanotube arrays with enhanced photo-electrochemical performance.

PubMed

Sun, Mingxuan; Fang, Yalin; Kong, Yuanyuan; Sun, Shanfu; Yu, Zhishui; Umar, Ahmad

2016-08-09

Herein, we report the successful formation of graphitic carbon nitride coated titanium oxide nanotube array thin films (g-C3N4/TiO2) via the facile thermal treatment of anodized Ti sheets over melamine. The proportion of C3N4 and TiO2 in the composite can be adjusted by changing the initial addition mass of melamine. The as-prepared samples are characterized by several techniques in order to understand the morphological, structural, compositional and optical properties. UV-vis absorption studies exhibit a remarkable red shift for the g-C3N4/TiO2 thin films as compared to the pristine TiO2 nanotubes. Importantly, the prepared composites exhibit an enhanced photocurrent and photo-potential under both UV-vis and visible light irradiation. Moreover, the observed maximum photo-conversion efficiency of the prepared composites is 1.59 times higher than that of the pristine TiO2 nanotubes. The optical and electrochemical impedance spectra analysis reveals that the better photo-electrochemical performance of the g-C3N4/TiO2 nanotubes is mainly due to the wider light absorption and reduced impedance compared to the bare TiO2 nanotube electrode. The presented work demonstrates a facile and simple method to fabricate g-C3N4/TiO2 nanotubes and clearly revealed that the introduction of g-C3N4 is a new and innovative approach to improve the photocurrent and photo-potential efficiencies of TiO2.

Inorganic nanotubes and electro-fluidic devices fabricated therefrom

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong [Kensington, CA; Majumdar, Arunava [Orinda, CA; Fan, Rong [Pasadena, CA; Karnik, Rohit [Cambridge, MA

2011-03-01

Nanofluidic devices incorporating inorganic nanotubes fluidly coupled to channels or nanopores for supplying a fluid containing chemical or bio-chemical species are described. In one aspect, two channels are fluidly interconnected with a nanotube. Electrodes on opposing sides of the nanotube establish electrical contact with the fluid therein. A bias current is passed between the electrodes through the fluid, and current changes are detected to ascertain the passage of select molecules, such as DNA, through the nanotube. In another aspect, a gate electrode is located proximal the nanotube between the two electrodes thus forming a nanofluidic transistor. The voltage applied to the gate controls the passage of ionic species through the nanotube selected as either or both ionic polarities. In either of these aspects the nanotube can be modified, or functionalized, to control the selectivity of detection or passage.

Capacitance of a highly ordered array of nanocapacitors: Model and microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortés, A.; Celedón, C.; Ulloa, P.; Kepaptsoglou, D.; Häberle, P.

2011-11-01

This manuscript describes briefly the process used to build an ordered porous array in an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane, filled with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The MWCNTs were grown directly inside the membrane through chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The role of the CNTs is to provide narrow metal electrodes contact with a dielectric surface barrier, hence, forming a capacitor. This procedure allows the construction of an array of 1010 parallel nano-spherical capacitors/cm2. A central part of this contribution is the use of physical parameters obtained from processing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, to predict the specific capacitance of the AAOs arrays. Electrical parameters were obtained by solving Laplace's equation through finite element methods (FEMs).

DNA impedance biosensor for detection of cancer, TP53 gene mutation, based on gold nanoparticles/aligned carbon nanotubes modified electrode.

PubMed

Fayazfar, H; Afshar, A; Dolati, M; Dolati, A

2014-07-11

For the first time, a new platform based on electrochemical growth of Au nanoparticles on aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (A-MWCNT) was developed for sensitive lable-free DNA detection of the TP53 gene mutation, one of the most popular genes in cancer research. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to monitor the sequence-specific DNA hybridization events related to TP53 gene. Compared to the bare Ta or MWCNT/Ta electrodes, the synergistic interactions of vertically aligned MWCNT array and gold nanoparticles at modified electrode could improve the density of the probe DNA attachment and resulting the sensitivity of the DNA sensor greatly. Using EIS, over the extended DNA concentration range, the change of charge transfer resistance was found to have a linear relationship in respect to the logarithm of the complementary oligonucleotides sequence concentrations in the wide range of 1.0×10(-15)-1.0×10(-7)M, with a detection limit of 1.0×10(-17)M (S/N=3). The prepared sensor also showed good stability (14 days), reproducibility (RSD=2.1%) and could be conveniently regenerated via dehybridization in hot water. The significant improvement in sensitivity illustrates that combining gold nanoparticles with the on-site fabricated aligned MWCNT array represents a promising platform for achieving sensitive biosensor for fast mutation screening related to most human cancer types. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nanotubes, nanorods and nanowires having piezoelectric and/or pyroelectric properties and devices manufactured therefrom

DOEpatents

Russell, Thomas P [Amherst, MA; Lutkenhaus, Jodie [Wethersfield, CT

2012-05-15

Disclosed herein is a device comprising a pair of electrodes; and a nanotube, a nanorod and/or a nanowire; the nanotube, nanorod and/or nanowire comprising a piezoelectric and/or pyroelectric polymeric composition; the pair of electrodes being in electrical communication with opposing surfaces of the nanotube, nanorod and/or a nanowire; the pair of electrodes being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the nanotube, nanorod and/or a nanowire.

A Novel of Buton Asphalt and Methylene Blue as Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell using TiO2/Ti Nanotubes Electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurhidayani; Muzakkar, M. Z.; Maulidiyah; Wibowo, D.; Nurdin, M.

2017-11-01

A study of TiO2/Ti nanotubes arrays (NTAs) based on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) used Asphalt Buton (Asbuton) extract and methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizer dye has been conducted. The aim of this research is that the Asbuton extract and Methylene Blue (MB) performance as a dye on DSSC solar cells is able to obtain the voltage-currents produced by visible light irradiation. Electrode TiO2/Ti NTAs have been successfully synthesized by anodizing methods, then characterized by using XRD showed that the anatase crystals formed. Subsequently, the morphology showed that the nanotubes formed which has coated by Asbuton extract. The DSSC system was formed by a sandwich structure and tested by using Multimeter Digital with Potentiostat instrument. The characteristics of current (I) and potential (V) versus time indicated that the Asbuton was obtained in a high-performance in 30s of 14,000µV 0.844µA, meanwhile MB dyes were 8,000µV0.573µA. Based on this research, the Asbuton extract from Buton Island-Southeast Sulawesi-Indonesia was potential for natural dyes in DSSC system.

Wrapping Aligned Carbon Nanotube Composite Sheets around Vanadium Nitride Nanowire Arrays for Asymmetric Coaxial Fiber-Shaped Supercapacitors with Ultrahigh Energy Density.

PubMed

Zhang, Qichong; Wang, Xiaona; Pan, Zhenghui; Sun, Juan; Zhao, Jingxin; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Cuixia; Tang, Lei; Luo, Jie; Song, Bin; Zhang, Zengxing; Lu, Weibang; Li, Qingwen; Zhang, Yuegang; Yao, Yagang

2017-04-12

The emergence of fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSSs) has led to a revolution in portable and wearable electronic devices. However, obtaining high energy density FSSs for practical applications is still a key challenge. This article exhibits a facile and effective approach to directly grow well-aligned three-dimensional vanadium nitride (VN) nanowire arrays (NWAs) on carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber with an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 715 mF/cm 2 in a three-electrode system. Benefiting from their intriguing structural features, we successfully fabricated a prototype asymmetric coaxial FSS (ACFSS) with a maximum operating voltage of 1.8 V. From core to shell, this ACFSS consists of a CNT fiber core coated with VN@C NWAs as the negative electrode, Na 2 SO 4 poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the solid electrolyte, and MnO 2 /conducting polymer/CNT sheets as the positive electrode. The novel coaxial architecture not only fully enables utilization of the effective surface area and decreases the contact resistance between the two electrodes but also, more importantly, provides a short pathway for the ultrafast transport of axial electrons and ions. The electrochemical results show that the optimized ACFSS exhibits a remarkable specific capacitance of 213.5 mF/cm 2 and an exceptional energy density of 96.07 μWh/cm 2 , the highest areal capacitance and areal energy density yet reported in FSSs. Furthermore, the device possesses excellent flexibility in that its capacitance retention reaches 96.8% after bending 5000 times, which further allows it to be woven into flexible electronic clothes with conventional weaving techniques. Therefore, the asymmetric coaxial architectural design allows new opportunities to fabricate high-performance flexible FSSs for future portable and wearable electronic devices.

Carbon nanotube multi-electrode array chips for noninvasive real-time measurement of dopamine, action potentials, and postsynaptic potentials.

PubMed

Suzuki, Ikuro; Fukuda, Mao; Shirakawa, Keiichi; Jiko, Hideyasu; Gotoh, Masao

2013-11-15

Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) can be used for noninvasive, real-time, and long-term recording of electrophysiological activity and changes in the extracellular chemical microenvironment. Neural network organization, neuronal excitability, synaptic and phenotypic plasticity, and drug responses may be monitored by MEAs, but it is still difficult to measure presynaptic activity, such as neurotransmitter release, from the presynaptic bouton. In this study, we describe the development of planar carbon nanotube (CNT)-MEA chips that can measure both the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine as well as electrophysiological responses such as field postsynaptic potentials (fPSPs) and action potentials (APs). These CNT-MEA chips were fabricated by electroplating the indium-tin oxide (ITO) microelectrode surfaces. The CNT-plated ITO electrode exhibited electrochemical response, having much higher current density compared with the bare ITO electrode. Chronoamperometric measurements using these CNT-MEA chips detected dopamine at nanomolar concentrations. By placing mouse striatal brain slices on the CNT-MEA chip, we successfully measured synaptic dopamine release from spontaneous firings with a high S/N ratio of 62. Furthermore, APs and fPSPs were measured from cultured hippocampal neurons and slices with high temporal resolution and a 100-fold greater S/N ratio. Our CNT-MEA chips made it possible to measure neurotransmitter dopamine (presynaptic activities), postsynaptic potentials, and action potentials, which have a central role in information processing in the neuronal network. CNT-MEA chips could prove useful for in vitro studies of stem cell differentiation, drug screening and toxicity, synaptic plasticity, and pathogenic processes involved in epilepsy, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A pH sensor based on electric properties of nanotubes on a glass substrate

PubMed Central

Nakamura, Motonori; Ishii, Atsushi; Subagyo, Agus; Hosoi, Hirotaka; Sueoka, Kazuhisa; Mukasa, Koichi

2007-01-01

We fabricated a pH-sensitive device on a glass substrate based on properties of carbon nanotubes. Nanotubes were immobilized specifically on chemically modified areas on a substrate followed by deposition of metallic source and drain electrodes on the area. Some nanotubes connected the source and drain electrodes. A top gate electrode was fabricated on an insulating layer of silane coupling agent on the nanotube. The device showed properties of ann-type field effect transistor when a potential was applied to the nanotube from the top gate electrode. Before fabrication of the insulating layer, the device showed that thep-type field effect transistor and the current through the source and drain electrodes depend on the buffer pH. The current increases with decreasing pH of the CNT solution. This device, which can detect pH, is applicable for use as a biosensor through modification of the CNT surface. PMID:21806848

Carbon nanotube switches for memory, RF communications and sensing applications, and methods of making the same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaul, Anupama B. (Inventor); Wong, Eric W. (Inventor); Baron, Richard L. (Inventor); Epp, Larry (Inventor)

2008-01-01

Switches having an in situ grown carbon nanotube as an element thereof, and methods of fabricating such switches. A carbon nanotube is grown in situ in mechanical connection with a conductive substrate, such as a heavily doped silicon wafer or an SOI wafer. The carbon nanotube is electrically connected at one location to a terminal. At another location of the carbon nanotube there is situated a pull electrode that can be used to elecrostatically displace the carbon nanotube so that it selectively makes contact with either the pull electrode or with a contact electrode. Connection to the pull electrode is sufficient to operate the device as a simple switch, while connection to a contact electrode is useful to operate the device in a manner analogous to a relay. In various embodiments, the devices disclosed are useful as at least switches for various signals, multi-state memory, computational devices, and multiplexers.

Porosimetry and packing morphology of vertically-aligned carbon nanotube arrays via impedance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Mutha, Heena K; Lu, Yuan; Stein, Itai; Cho, H Jeremy; Suss, Matthew; Laoui, Tahar; Thompson, Carl; Wardle, Brian; Wang, Evelyn

2016-12-13

Vertically aligned one-dimensional nanostructure arrays are promising in many applications such as electrochemical systems, solar cells, and electronics, taking advantage of high surface area per unit volume, nanometer length scale packing, and alignment leading to high conductivity. However, many devices need to optimize arrays for device performance by selecting an appropriate morphology. Developing a simple, non-invasive tool for understanding the role of pore volume distribution and interspacing would aid in the optimization of nanostructure morphologies in electrodes. In this work, we combined electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with capacitance measurements and porous electrode theory to conduct in situ porosimetry of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNTs) non-destructively. We utilized the EIS measurements with a pore size distribution model to quantify the average and dispersion of inter-CNT spacing (Γ), stochastically, in carpets that were mechanically densified from 1.7 × 10¹⁰ tubes/cm² to 4.5 × 10¹¹ tubes/cm². Our analysis predicts that the inter-CNT spacing ranges from over 100 ± 50 nm in sparse carpets to sub 10 ± 5 nm in packed carpets. Our results suggest that waviness of CNTs leads to variations in the inter-CNT spacing, which can be significant in sparse carpets. This methodology can be used to predict the performance of many nanostructured devices, including supercapacitors, batteries, solar cells, and semiconductor electronics. Copyright 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd.

High-performance electrochemical mercury aptasensor based on synergistic amplification of Pt nanotube arrays and Fe3O4/rGO nanoprobes.

PubMed

Luo, Jingyi; Jiang, Danfeng; Liu, Tao; Peng, Jingmeng; Chu, Zhenyu; Jin, Wanqin

2018-05-01

In this work, a novel sandwich-type aptasensor was designed for the ultrasensitive recognition of trace mercury ions in water. Numerous oriented platinum nanotube arrays (PtNAs) were in-situ crystallized on a flexible electrode as a sensing interface, while thionine labelled Fe 3 O 4 /rGO nanocomposites as signal amplifiers. Both PtNAs/CF and nanocomposites were synthesized by easy hydrothermal processes. With their large surface area, it was favorable for electrochemical performance and immobilization of capture DNAs (cDNA) and report DNAs (rDNA). Upon the existence of Hg 2+ , partial linker DNAs were tightly bound with cDNAs through thymine-Hg 2+ -thymine pairing (T-Hg 2+ -T). Then rDNAs attached Fe 3 O 4 /rGO nanoprobes were fixed on the electrode through the match of remaining linker DNAs and rDNAs. Under the optimal conditions, the Hg 2+ aptasensor showed a synergistic amplification performance with a wide linear range from 0.1nM to 100nM, as well as a low detection limit of 30pM. Moreover, the as-prepared aptasensor also exhibited reliable performance for assay in real lake water samples. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays

DOEpatents

Ren, Zhifeng; Lin, Yuehe; Yantasee, Wassana; Liu, Guodong; Lu, Fang; Tu, Yi

2008-11-18

The present invention relates to microelectode arrays (MEAs), and more particularly to carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays (CNT-NEAs) for chemical and biological sensing, and methods of use. A nanoelectrode array includes a carbon nanotube material comprising an array of substantially linear carbon nanotubes each having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the carbon nanotubes are attached to a catalyst substrate material so as to form the array with a pre-determined site density, wherein the carbon nanotubes are aligned with respect to one another within the array; an electrically insulating layer on the surface of the carbon nanotube material, whereby the distal end of the carbon nanotubes extend beyond the electrically insulating layer; a second adhesive electrically insulating layer on the surface of the electrically insulating layer, whereby the distal end of the carbon nanotubes extend beyond the second adhesive electrically insulating layer; and a metal wire attached to the catalyst substrate material.

Liquid-phase synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and related nanomaterials on preheated alloy substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamagiwa, Kiyofumi

2018-02-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and related nanocarbons were selectively synthesized on commercially available alloy substrates by a simple liquid-phase technique. Fe- and Ni-rich stainless-steel (JIS SUS316L and Inconel®600, respectively) and Ni-Cu alloy (Monel®400) substrates were used for the synthesis, and each substrate was preheated in air to promote the self-formation of catalyst nanolayers on the surface. The substrates were resistance heated in ethanol without any addition of catalysts to grow CNTs. The yield of the CNTs effectively increased when the preheating process was employed. Highly aligned CNT arrays grew on the SUS316L substrate, while non-aligned CNTs and distinctive twisted fibers were observed on the other substrates. An Fe oxide layer was selectively formed on the preheated SUS316L substrate promoting the growth of the CNT arrays. Characterizations including cyclic voltammetry for the arrays revealed that the CNTs possess a comparatively defect-rich surface, which is a desirable characteristic for its application such as electrode materials for capacitors.

Effects of ion insertion on cycling performance of miniaturized electrochemical capacitor of carbon nanotubes array.

PubMed

Tsai, Dah-Shyang; Chang, Chuan-hua; Chiang, Wei-Wen; Lee, Kuei-Yi; Huang, Ying-Sheng

2014-10-24

Capacity degradation and ion insertion of a miniaturized electrochemical capacitor are studied using ionic liquid [EMI] [TFSI] as the electrolyte. This capacitor is featured with two comb-like electrodes of vertical carbon nanotubes, ∼70 μm in height and 20 μm in interelectrode gap. We quantify the levels of ion insertion damage with Raman spectroscopy after the electrode experiences 120 consecutive voltammetric cycles to various potential limits. Distinct structural damage emerges due to [EMI] when the negative potential reaches -1.7 V, and those due to [TFSI] arise when the positive potential reaches 1.7 V vs. RHE. Judging from the peak broadenings, [EMI] is more detrimental than [TFSI]. When the voltage window ΔU is set as less than or equal to 2.8 V, both electrode potentials are within the two intercalation limits, little or no decay is observed in 10(4) charge/discharge cycles. When ΔU is 3.4 V, the positive potential exceeds the upper limit, but the negative potential stays within the lower limit, the cell capacitance decreases moderately. When ΔU increases to 3.8 V, both electrodes suffer from damages because of exceeding the intercalation limits. And the cell capacitance decreases substantially, even leading to a premature failure.

Peptide nanotube-modified electrodes for enzyme-biosensor applications.

PubMed

Yemini, Miri; Reches, Meital; Gazit, Ehud; Rishpon, Judith

2005-08-15

The fabrication and notably improved performance of composite electrodes based on modified self-assembled diphenylalanine peptide nanotubes is described. Peptide nanotubes were attached to gold electrodes, and we studied the resulting electrochemical behavior using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The peptide nanotube-based electrodes demonstrated a direct and unmediated response to hydrogen peroxide and NADH at a potential of +0.4 V (vs SCE). This biosensor enables a sensitive determination of glucose by monitoring the hydrogen peroxide produced by an enzymatic reaction between the glucose oxidase attached to the peptide nanotubes and glucose. In addition, the marked electrocatalytic activity toward NADH enabled a sensitive detection of ethanol using ethanol dehydrogenase and NAD+. The peptide nanotube-based amperometric biosensor provides a potential new tool for sensitive biosensors and biomolecular diagnostics.

Self-organized nitrogen and fluorine co-doped titanium oxide nanotube arrays with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance.

PubMed

Li, Qi; Shang, Jian Ku

2009-12-01

Self-organized nitrogen and fluorine co-doped titanium oxide (TiONF) nanotube arrays were created by anodizing titanium foil in a fluoride and ammoniate-based electrolyte, followed by calcination of the amorphous nanotube arrays under a nitrogen protective atmosphere for crystallization. TiONF nanotube arrays were found to have enhanced visible light absorption capability and photodegradation efficiency on methylene blue under visible light illumination over the TiO(2) nanotube arrays. The enhancement was dependent on both the nanotube structural architecture and the nitrogen and fluorine co-doping effect. TiONF nanotube arrays promise a wide range of technical applications, especially for environmental applications and solar cell devices.

Carbon nanotube network thin-film transistors on flexible/stretchable substrates

DOEpatents

Takei, Kuniharu; Takahashi, Toshitake; Javey, Ali

2016-03-29

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for flexible thin-film transistors. In one aspect, a device includes a polymer substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the polymer substrate, a dielectric layer disposed on the gate electrode and on exposed portions of the polymer substrate, a carbon nanotube network disposed on the dielectric layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed on the carbon nanotube network.

Equivalent Circuit Modeling for Carbon Nanotube Schottky Barrier Modulation in Polarized Gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamada, Toshishige

2005-01-01

We study the carbon nanotube Schottky barrier at the metallic electrode interface in polarized gases using an equivalent circuit model. The gas-nanotube interaction is often weak and very little charge transfer is expected [l]. This is the case with'oxygen, but the gas-electrode interaction is appreciable and makes the oxygen molecules negatively charged. In the closed circuit condition, screening positive charges appear in the nanotube as well as in the electrode, and the Schottky barrier is modulated due to the resultant electrostatic effects [2]. In the case of ammonia, both the gas-nanotube and gas-electrode interactions are weak, but the Schottky barrier can still be modulated since the molecules are polarized and align in the preferred orientation within the gap between the electrode and nanotube in the open circuit condition (dipole layer formation). In the closed circuit condition, an electric field appears in the gap and strengthens or weakens the preferred dipole alignment reflecting the nanotube Fermi level. The modulation is visible when the nanotube depletion mode is involved, and the required dipole density is as low as 2 x 10(exp 13) dipoles/sq cm, which is quite feasible experimentally,

Exploring aligned-carbon-nanotubes@polyaniline arrays on household Al as supercapacitors.

PubMed

Huang, Fan; Lou, Fengliu; Chen, De

2012-05-01

Herein, we demonstrate a new approach towards the construction of supercapacitors consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and conducting polymers (ECPs) with high specific power, high specific energy, and stable cycling performance through a 3D design of a thin film of polyaniline (PANI) on an aligned small carbon nanotube (ACNT) array on household Al foils. The thin-film strategy is used to fully exploit the specific capacitance of PANI, and obtain regular pores, strong interaction between PANI and CNTs, and reduced electrical resistance for the electrodes. A facile process is developed to fabricate a highly flexible supercapacitor using this binder-free composite on household Al foil as the current collector. It exhibits high specific energy of 18.9 Wh kg(-1) , high maximum specific power of 11.3 kW kg(-1) of the active material in an aqueous electrolyte at 1.0 A g(-1) , and excellent rate performance and cycling stability. A high specific energy of 72.4 Wh kg(-1) , a high maximum specific power of 24.9 kW kg(-1) , and a good cycling performance of the active material are obtained in an organic electrolyte. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fiber and fabric solar cells by directly weaving carbon nanotube yarns with CdSe nanowire-based electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Luhui; Shi, Enzheng; Ji, Chunyan; Li, Zhen; Li, Peixu; Shang, Yuanyuan; Li, Yibin; Wei, Jinquan; Wang, Kunlin; Zhu, Hongwei; Wu, Dehai; Cao, Anyuan

2012-07-01

Electrode materials are key components for fiber solar cells, and when combined with active layers (for light absorption and charge generation) in appropriate ways, they enable design and fabrication of efficient and innovative device structures. Here, we apply carbon nanotube yarns as counter electrodes in combination with CdSe nanowire-grafted primary electrodes (Ti wire) for making fiber and fabric-shaped photoelectrochemical cells with power conversion efficiencies in the range 1% to 2.9%. The spun-twist long nanotube yarns possess both good electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility compared to conventional metal wires or carbon fibers, which facilitate fabrication of solar cells with versatile configurations. A unique feature of our process is that instead of making individual fiber cells, we directly weave single or multiple nanotube yarns with primary electrodes into a functional fabric. Our results demonstrate promising applications of semiconducting nanowires and carbon nanotubes in woven photovoltaics.Electrode materials are key components for fiber solar cells, and when combined with active layers (for light absorption and charge generation) in appropriate ways, they enable design and fabrication of efficient and innovative device structures. Here, we apply carbon nanotube yarns as counter electrodes in combination with CdSe nanowire-grafted primary electrodes (Ti wire) for making fiber and fabric-shaped photoelectrochemical cells with power conversion efficiencies in the range 1% to 2.9%. The spun-twist long nanotube yarns possess both good electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility compared to conventional metal wires or carbon fibers, which facilitate fabrication of solar cells with versatile configurations. A unique feature of our process is that instead of making individual fiber cells, we directly weave single or multiple nanotube yarns with primary electrodes into a functional fabric. Our results demonstrate promising applications of semiconducting nanowires and carbon nanotubes in woven photovoltaics. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr31440a

Constructing Ultrahigh-Capacity Zinc-Nickel-Cobalt Oxide@Ni(OH)2 Core-Shell Nanowire Arrays for High-Performance Coaxial Fiber-Shaped Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Zhang, Qichong; Xu, Weiwei; Sun, Juan; Pan, Zhenghui; Zhao, Jingxin; Wang, Xiaona; Zhang, Jun; Man, Ping; Guo, Jiabin; Zhou, Zhenyu; He, Bing; Zhang, Zengxing; Li, Qingwen; Zhang, Yuegang; Xu, Lai; Yao, Yagang

2017-12-13

Increased efforts have recently been devoted to developing high-energy-density flexible supercapacitors for their practical applications in portable and wearable electronics. Although high operating voltages have been achieved in fiber-shaped asymmetric supercapacitors (FASCs), low specific capacitance still restricts the further enhancement of their energy density. This article specifies a facile and cost-effective method to directly grow three-dimensionally well-aligned zinc-nickel-cobalt oxide (ZNCO)@Ni(OH) 2 nanowire arrays (NWAs) on a carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF) with an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2847.5 F/cm 3 (10.678 F/cm 2 ) at a current density of 1 mA/cm 2 , These levels are approximately five times higher than those of ZNCO NWAs/CNTF electrodes (2.10 F/cm 2 ) and four times higher than Ni(OH) 2 /CNTF electrodes (2.55 F/cm 2 ). Benefiting from their unique features, we successfully fabricated a prototype coaxial FASC (CFASC) with a maximum operating voltage of 1.6 V, which was assembled by adopting ZNCO@Ni(OH) 2 NWAs/CNTF as the core electrode and a thin layer of carbon coated vanadium nitride (VN@C) NWAs on a carbon nanotube strip (CNTS) as the outer electrode with KOH poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the gel electrolyte. A high specific capacitance of 94.67 F/cm 3 (573.75 mF/cm 2 ) and an exceptional energy density of 33.66 mWh/cm 3 (204.02 μWh/cm 2 ) were achieved for our CFASC device, which represent the highest levels of fiber-shaped supercapacitors to date. More importantly, the fiber-shaped ZnO-based photodetector is powered by the integrated CFASC, and it demonstrates excellent sensitivity in detecting UV light. Thus, this work paves the way to the construction of ultrahigh-capacity electrode materials for next-generation wearable energy-storage devices.

Gold-coated carbon nanotube electrode arrays: Immunosensors for impedimetric detection of bone biomarkers.

PubMed

Ramanathan, Madhumati; Patil, Mitali; Epur, Rigved; Yun, Yeoheung; Shanov, Vasselin; Schulz, Mark; Heineman, William R; Datta, Moni K; Kumta, Prashant N

2016-03-15

C-terminal telopeptide (cTx), a fragment generated during collagen degradation, is a key biomarker of bone resorption during the bone remodeling process. The presence of varying levels of cTx in the bloodstream can hence be indicative of abnormal bone metabolism. This study focuses on the development of an immunosensor utilizing carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes coated with gold nanoparticles for the detection of cTx, which could ultimately lead to the development of an inexpensive and rapid point-of-care (POC) tool for bone metabolism detection and prognostics. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was implemented to monitor and detect the antigen-antibody binding events occurring on the surface of the gold-deposited CNT electrode. Type I cTx was used as the model protein to test the developed sensor. The sensor was accordingly characterized at various stages of development for evaluation of the optimal sensor performance. The biosensor could detect cTx levels as low as 0.05 ng/mL. The feasibility of the sensor for point-of-care (POC) applications was further demonstrated by determining the single frequency showing maximum changes in impedance, which was determined to be 18.75 Hz. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hierarchical TiN nanoparticles-assembled nanopillars for flexible supercapacitors with high volumetric capacitance.

PubMed

Qin, Ping; Li, Xingxing; Gao, Biao; Fu, Jijiang; Xia, Lu; Zhang, Xuming; Huo, Kaifu; Shen, Wenli; Chu, Paul K

2018-05-10

Titanium nitride (TiN) is an attractive electrode material in fast charging/discharging supercapacitors because of its excellent conductivity. However, the low capacitance and mechanical brittleness of TiN restricts its further application in flexible supercapacitors with high energy density. Thus, it is still a challenge to rationally design TiN electrodes with both high electrochemical and mechanical properties. Herein, the hierarchical TiN nanoparticles-assembled nanopillars (H-TiN NPs) array as binder free electrodes were obtained by nitriding of hierarchical titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanopillars, which was produced by a simple hydrothermal treatment of anodic TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) array in water. The porous TiN nanoparticles connected to each other to form ordered nanopillar arrays, effectively providing larger specific surface area and more active sites for charge storage. The H-TiN NPs delivered a high volumetric capacitance of 120 F cm-3 at 0.83 A cm-3, which is better than that of TiN NTs arrays (69 F cm-3 at 0.83 A cm-3). After assembling into all-solid-state devices, the H-TiN NPs based supercapacitors exhibited outstanding volumetric capacitance of 5.9 F cm-3 at 0.02 A cm-3 and a high energy density of 0.53 mW h cm-3. Our results reveal a new strategy to optimize the supercapacitive performance of metal nitrides.

Electrochemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with glassy carbon electrode and their application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Y. Z.; Li, X.; Song, Y.; Cheng, Z. P.; Zhong, H.; Xu, J. M.; Lu, J. S.; Wei, C. G.; Zhu, A. F.; Wu, F. Y.; Xu, J.

2013-01-01

Gold nanoparticles on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with glassy carbon electrode were prepared using electrochemical synthesis method. The thin films of gold Nanoparticles/multi-walled carbon nanotubes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical behavior of adrenaline hydrochloride at gold nanoparticles/multi-walled carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode was investigated. A simple, sensitive, and inexpensive method for determination of adrenaline hydrochloride was proposed.

Influence of anodization parameters on the morphology of TiO 2 nanotube arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omidvar, Hamid; Goodarzi, Saba; Seif, Ahmad; Azadmehr, Amir R.

2011-07-01

TiO 2 nanotube arrays can be fabricated by electrochemical anodization in organic and inorganic electrolytes. Morphology of these nanotube arrays changes when anodization parameters such as applied voltage, type of electrolyte, time and temperature are varied. Nanotube arrays fabricated by anodization of commercial titanium in electrolytes containing NH 4F solution and either sulfuric or phosphoric acid were studied at room temperature; time of anodization was kept constant. Applied voltage, fluoride ion concentration, and acid concentrations were varied and their influences on TiO 2 nanotubes were investigated. The current density of anodizing was recorded by computer controlled digital multimeter. The surface morphology (top-view) of nanotube arrays were observed by SEM. The nanotube arrays in this study have inner diameters in range of 40-80 nm.

Field Emission Study of Carbon Nanotubes: High Current Density from Nanotube Bundle Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bronikowski, Micheal J.; Manohara, Harish M.; Siegel, Peter H.; Hunt, Brian D.

2004-01-01

We have investigated the field emission behavior of lithographically patterned bundles of multiwalled carbon nanotubes arranged in a variety of array geometries. Such arrays of nanotube bundles are found to perform significantly better in field emission than arrays of isolated nanotubes or dense, continuous mats of nanotubes, with the field emission performance depending on the bundle diameter and inter-bundle spacing. Arrays of 2-micrometers diameter nanotube bundles spaced 5 micrometers apart (edge-to-edge spacing) produced the largest emission densities, routinely giving 1.5 to 1.8 A/cm(sup 2) at approximately 4 V/micrometer electric field, and greater than 6 A/cm(sup 2) at 20 V/micrometers.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of TiO2 nanotube arrays with coexisted Pt nanoparticles and Co-Pi cocatalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanfang; Cao, Chang; Xie, Xinxin; Zhang, Li; Lin, Shiwei

2018-04-01

Highly-ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) were prepared by electrochemical anodization. Cobalt-phosphate (Co-Pi) film fabricated by electrodeposition and Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) fabricated by photochemical reduction were decorated onto TNTAs to enhance the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance together. The photocurrent density of the TNTAs/Co-Pi/Pt photoelectrode could reach 0.185 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode under UV lamp illumination (1 mW/cm2), which is 2.65 times compared to that of the pure TNTAs photoelectrode. Electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis were conducted to explore the reasons for the enhancement of the PEC performance. Pt NPs could promote the reduction of Co(Ⅳ)-oxo intermediate to Co(II) or Co(Ⅲ) which facilitated the charge transfer in the PEC performance. The result provides a promising guideline to design a simple and efficient photoelectrode for the PEC water-splitting system.

Comparative analysis of single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes for electrochemical sensing of glucose on gold printed circuit boards.

PubMed

Alhans, Ruby; Singh, Anukriti; Singhal, Chaitali; Narang, Jagriti; Wadhwa, Shikha; Mathur, Ashish

2018-09-01

In the present work, a comparative study was performed between single-walled carbon nanotubes and multi-walled carbon nanotubes coated gold printed circuit board electrodes for glucose detection. Various characterization techniques were demonstrated in order to compare the modified electrodes viz. cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chrono-amperometry. Results revealed that single-walled carbon nanotubes outperformed multi-walled carbon nanotubes and proved to be a better sensing interface for glucose detection. The single-walled carbon nanotubes coated gold printed circuit board electrodes showed a wide linear sensing range (1 mM to 100 mM) with detection limit of 0.1 mM with response time of 5 s while multi-walled carbon nanotubes coated printed circuit board gold electrodes showed linear sensing range (1 mM to 100 mM) with detection limit of 0.1 mM with response time of 5 s. This work provided low cost sensors with enhanced sensitivity, fast response time and reliable results for glucose detection which increased the affordability of such tests in remote areas. In addition, the comparative results confirmed that single-walled carbon nanotubes modified electrodes can be exploited for better amplification signal as compared to multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Synthesis of Millimeter-Scale Carbon Nanotube Arrays and Their Applications on Electrochemical Supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Xinwei

This research is aimed at synthesizing millimeter-scale carbon nanotube arrays (CNTA) by conventional chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) and water-assisted chemical vapor deposition (WACVD) methods, and exploring their application as catalyst supports for electrochemical supercapacitors. The growth mechanism and growth kinetics of CNTA under different conditions were systematically investigated to understand the relationship among physical characteristics of catalyst particles, growth parameters, and carbon nanotube (CNT) structures within CNTAs. Multiwalled CNT (MWCNT) array growth demonstrates lengthening and thickening stages in CCVD and WACVD. In CCVD, the lengthening and thickening were found to be competitive. By investigating catalyst particles after different pretreatment conditions, it has been found that inter-particle spacing plays a significant role in influencing CNTA height, CNT diameter and wall number. In WACVD, a long linear lengthening stage has been found. CNT wall number remains constant and catalysts preserve the activity in this stage, while MWCNTs thicken substantially and catalysts deactivate following the previously proposed radioactive decay model in the thickening stage of WACVD. Water was also shown to preserve the catalyst activity by significantly inhibiting catalyst-induced and gas phase-induced thickening processes in WACVD. Mn3O4 nanoparticles were successfully deposited and uniformly distributed within millimeter-long CNTAs by dip-casting method from non-aqueous solutions. After modification with Mn3O4 nanoparticles, CNTAs have been changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic without their alignment and integrity being destroyed. The hydrophilic Mn 3O4/CNTA composite electrodes present ideal capacitive behavior with high reversibility. This opens up a new route of utilizing ultra-long CNTAs, based on which a scalable and cost-effective method was developed to fabricate composite electrodes using millimeter-long CNTAs. To improve the performance of the composites, epsilon-MnO2 nanorods were anodically pulse-electrodeposited within hydrophilic 0.5 mm-thick Mn 3O4 decorated CNTAs. The maximum gravimetric capacitance for the MnO2 nanorods/CNTA composite electrode was found to be 185 F/g, and that for epsilon-MnO2 nanorods was determined to be 221 F/g. After electrodeposition, the area-normalized capacitance and volumetric capacitance values were increased by a factor of 3, and an extremely high area-normalized capacitance of 1.80 F/cm2 was also achieved for the MnO2 nanorods/CNTA composite.

Role of carbon nanotubes in electroanalytical chemistry: a review.

PubMed

Agüí, Lourdes; Yáñez-Sedeño, Paloma; Pingarrón, José M

2008-08-01

This review covers recent advances in the development of new designs of electrochemical sensors and biosensors that make use of electrode surfaces modification with carbon nanotubes. Applications based on carbon nanotubes-driven electrocatalytic effects, and the construction and analytical usefulness of new hybrid materials with polymers or other nanomaterials will be treated. Moreover, electrochemical detection using carbon nanotubes-modified electrodes as detecting systems in separation techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or capillary electrophoresis (CE) will be also considered. Finally, the preparation of electrochemical biosensors, including enzyme electrodes, immunosensors and DNA biosensors, in which carbon nanotubes play a significant role in their sensing performance will be separately considered.

All-solid-state flexible microsupercapacitors based on reduced graphene oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Xiling; Xu, Jianhua; He, Xin; Yang, Wenyao; Yang, Yajie; Xu, Lu; Zhao, Yuetao; Zhou, Yujiu

2018-03-01

All-solid-state flexible microsupercapacitors have been intensely investigated in order to meet the rapidly growing demands for portable microelectronic devices. Herein, we demonstrate a facile, readily scalable and cost-effective laser induction process for preparing reduced graphene oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite, which can be used as the interdigital electrodes in microsupercapacitors. The obtained composite exhibits high volumetric capacitance about 49.35 F cm-3, which is nearly 5 times higher than that of the pristine reduced graphene oxide film in aqueous 1.0 M H2SO4 solution (measured at a current density of 5 A cm-3 in a three-electrode testing). Additionally, an all-solid-state flexible microsupercapacitor employing these composite electrodes with PVA/H3PO4 gel electrolyte delivers high volumetric energy density of 6.47 mWh cm-3 at 10 mW cm-3 under the current density of 20 mA cm-3 as well as achieve excellent cycling stability retaining 88.6% of its initial value and outstanding coulombic efficiency after 10,000 cycles. Furthermore, the microsupercapacitors array connected in series/parallel can be easily adjusted to achieve the demands in practical applications. Therefore, this work brings a promising new candidate of prepare technologies for all-solid-state flexible microsupercapacitors as miniaturized power sources used in the portable and wearable electronics.

Electrochemical detection and degradation of ibuprofen from water on multi-walled carbon nanotubes-epoxy composite electrode.

PubMed

Motoc, Sorina; Remes, Adriana; Pop, Aniela; Manea, Florica; Schoonman, Joop

2013-04-01

This work describes the electrochemical behaviour of ibuprofen on two types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes based composite electrodes, i.e., multi-walled carbon nanotubes-epoxy (MWCNT) and silver-modified zeolite-multi-walled carbon nanotubes-epoxy (AgZMWCNT) composites electrodes. The composite electrodes were obtained using two-roll mill procedure. SEM images of surfaces of the composites revealed a homogeneous distribution of the composite components within the epoxy matrix. AgZMWCNT composite electrode exhibited the better electrical conductivity and larger electroactive surface area. The electrochemical determination of ibuprofen (IBP) was achieved using AgZMWCNT by cyclic voltammetry, differential-pulsed voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The IBP degradation occurred on both composite electrodes under controlled electrolysis at 1.2 and 1.75 V vs. Ag/AgCl, and IBP concentration was determined comparatively by differential-pulsed voltammetry, under optimized conditions using AgZMWCNT electrode and UV-Vis spectrophotometry methods to determine the IBP degradation performance for each electrode. AgZMWCNT electrode exhibited a dual character allowing a double application in IBP degradation process and its control.

High power and high energy electrodes using carbon nanotubes

DOEpatents

Martini, Fabrizio; Brambilla, Nicolo Michele; Signorelli, Riccardo

2015-04-07

An electrode useful in an energy storage system, such as a capacitor, includes an electrode that includes at least one to a plurality of layers of compressed carbon nanotube aggregate. Methods of fabrication are provided. The resulting electrode exhibits superior electrical performance in terms of gravimetric and volumetric power density.

Spatially digitized tactile pressure sensors with tunable sensitivity and sensing range.

PubMed

Choi, Eunsuk; Sul, Onejae; Hwang, Soonhyung; Cho, Joonhyung; Chun, Hyunsuk; Kim, Hongjun; Lee, Seung-Beck

2014-10-24

When developing an electronic skin with touch sensation, an array of tactile pressure sensors with various ranges of pressure detection need to be integrated. This requires low noise, highly reliable sensors with tunable sensing characteristics. We demonstrate the operation of tactile pressure sensors that utilize the spatial distribution of contact electrodes to detect various ranges of tactile pressures. The device consists of a suspended elastomer diaphragm, with a carbon nanotube thin-film on the bottom, which makes contact with the electrodes on the substrate with applied pressure. The electrodes separated by set distances become connected in sequence with tactile pressure, enabling consecutive electrodes to produce a signal. Thus, the pressure is detected not by how much of a signal is produced but by which of the electrodes is registering an output. By modulating the diaphragm diameter, and suspension height, it was possible to tune the pressure sensitivity and sensing range. Also, adding a fingerprint ridge structure enabled the sensor to detect the periodicity of sub-millimeter grating patterns on a silicon wafer.

Carbon Nanotube-Based Ion Selective Sensors for Wearable Applications.

PubMed

Roy, Soumyendu; David-Pur, Moshe; Hanein, Yael

2017-10-11

Wearable electronics offer new opportunities in a wide range of applications, especially sweat analysis using skin sensors. A fundamental challenge in these applications is the formation of sensitive and stable electrodes. In this article we report the development of a wearable sensor based on carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode arrays for sweat sensing. Solid-state ion selective electrodes (ISEs), sensitive to Na + ions, were prepared by drop coating plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) doped with ionophore and ion exchanger on CNT electrodes. The ion selective membrane (ISM) filled the intertubular spaces of the highly porous CNT film and formed an attachment that was stronger than that achieved with flat Au, Pt, or carbon electrodes. Concentration of the ISM solution used influenced the attachment to the CNT film, the ISM surface morphology, and the overall performance of the sensor. Sensitivity of 56 ± 3 mV/decade to Na + ions was achieved. Optimized solid-state reference electrodes (REs), suitable for wearable applications, were prepared by coating CNT electrodes with colloidal dispersion of Ag/AgCl, agarose hydrogel with 0.5 M NaCl, and a passivation layer of PVC doped with NaCl. The CNT-based REs had low sensitivity (-1.7 ± 1.2 mV/decade) toward the NaCl solution and high repeatability and were superior to bare Ag/AgCl, metals, carbon, and CNT films, reported previously as REs. CNT-based ISEs were calibrated against CNT-based REs, and the short-term stability of the system was tested. We demonstrate that CNT-based devices implemented on a flexible support are a very attractive platform for future wearable technology devices.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays as thermal interface material for vibrational structure of piezoelectric transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lie; Ju, Bin; Feng, Zhihua; Zhao, Yang

2018-07-01

The application and characterization of thermal interface material (TIM) for vibrational structures is investigated in this paper. The vibrating feature during the operation requires unique solution for its thermal management, since the connection between the device and heat dissipater should be able to conduct heat efficiently and impose minimum constraint onto the vibration simultaneously. As a typical vibrational device, piezoelectric transformers (PTs) are discussed in this paper. The PTs have urgent demands for thermal dissipation since their power conversion efficiency decrease rapidly with the rising temperature. A novel method by applying vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays to the interface between PT and heat dissipater is presented to enhance the performance of piezoelectric transformers. VACNT arrays are one of the excellent TIMs. It can directly establish thermal contact between two surfaces by van der Waals’ forces. In addition, the unique anisotropic character of CNT arrays provides enough flexibility to accommodate the vibration during the operation. Different configurations of TIMs are compared with each other in this work, including CNT arrays, tape of polypropylene (PP) membrane and without heat transfer structure (HTS). The results indicate that the temperature rise is lowest and the efficiency is highest at the same power density while CNT arrays served as the TIM. Almost no significant fretting and wearing damage occurred on PT electrode surface with CNT arrays TIM even after working continuously for 120 days. Meanwhile, the thermo-physical properties of CNT arrays at contact interface are measured by optical transient thermo-reflectance technique.

Nanoindentation study of the mechanical behavior of TiO2 nanotube arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y. N.; Liu, M. N.; Wang, M. C.; Oloyede, A.; Bell, J. M.; Yan, C.

2015-10-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube arrays are attracting increasing attention for use in solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, and biomedical implants. To take full advantage of their unique physical properties, such arrays need to maintain adequate mechanical integrity in applications. However, the mechanical performance of TiO2 nanotube arrays is not well understood. In this work, we investigate the deformation and failure of TiO2 nanotube arrays using the nanoindentation technique. We found that the load-displacement response of the arrays strongly depends on the indentation depth and indenter shape. Substrate-independent elastic modulus and hardness can be obtained when the indentation depth is less than 2.5% of the array height. The deformation mechanisms of TiO2 nanotube arrays by Berkovich and conical indenters are closely associated with the densification of TiO2 nanotubes under compression. A theoretical model for deformation of the arrays under a large-radius conical indenter is also proposed.

Hydrogen adsorption capacities of multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes and nanotube arrays: a grand canonical Monte Carlo study.

PubMed

Ahadi, Zohreh; Shadman, Muhammad; Yeganegi, Saeed; Asgari, Farid

2012-07-01

Hydrogen adsorption in multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes and their arrays was studied using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation. The results show that hydrogen storage increases with tube diameter and the distance between the tubes in multi-walled boron nitride nanotube arrays. Also, triple-walled boron nitride nanotubes present the lowest level of hydrogen physisorption, double-walled boron nitride nanotubes adsorb hydrogen better when the diameter of the inner tube diameter is sufficiently large, and single-walled boron nitride nanotubes adsorb hydrogen well when the tube diameter is small enough. Boron nitride nanotube arrays adsorb hydrogen, but the percentage of adsorbed hydrogen (by weight) in boron nitride nanotube arrays is rather similar to that found in multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes. Also, when the Langmuir and Langmuir-Freundlich equations were fitted to the simulated data, it was found that multi-layer adsorptivity occurs more prominently as the number of walls and the tube diameter increase. However, in single-walled boron nitride nanotubes with a small diameter, the dominant mechanism is monolayer adsorptivity.

Electrochemical properties of Ti3+ doped Ag-Ti nanotube arrays coated with hydroxyapatite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hangzhou; Shi, Xiaoguo; Tian, Ang; Wang, Li; Liu, Chuangwei

2018-04-01

Ag-Ti nanotube array was prepared by simple anodic oxidation method and uniform hydroxyapatite were electrochemically deposited on the nanotubes, and then characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS and EIS. In order to investigate the influence of Ti3+ on the electrochemical deposition of hydroxyapatite on the nanotubes, the Ag-Ti nanotube array self-doped with Ti3+ was prepared by one step reduction method. The experiment results revealed that the Ti3+ can promote the grow rate of hydroxyapatite coatings on nanotube surface. The hydroxyapatite coated Ag-Ti nanotube arrays with Ti3+ exhibit excellent stability and higher corrosion resistance. Moreover, the compact and dense hydroxyapatite coating can also prevent the Ag atom erosion from the Ag-Ti nanotube.

Enhanced electrochemical performance of manganese dioxide spheres deposited on a titanium dioxide nanotube arrays substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, He; Zhang, Yanrong

2014-12-01

The deposition of MnO2 spheres on a TiO2 nanotube arrays substrate are achieved via a sequential chemical bath deposition (SCBD) method for an application of anode materials in supercapacitors. The electrochemical performance of the MnO2-TiO2 composite electrode is observed to show a strong dependence on the MnO2 loading mass, which could be adjusted by repeating the SCBD treatment for several cycles. The optimized doses of MnO2 loaded MnO2-TiO2 and MnO2-Ti samples are compared in terms of their areal capacitance studies and the former is of 175 and 101 mF cm-2 at a scan rate of 10 and 100 mV s-1, respectively, which are 1.52-fold and 1.51-fold of that of the latter sample at corresponding scan rates. The enhancement in areal capacitance has been accounted to the progressive effect of the TiO2 tubular substrate on the capacitive behavior of the loaded MnO2 rather than the different MnO2 loading mass on these two substrates. Impedance analysis reveals this enhanced electrochemical activity is owing to the tubular structure of the TiO2 substrate provides an increased reaction area and facilitates the contact of electrolyte with the active MnO2 material. This work justified the suitability of using the TiO2 nanotube arrays for constructing high-performance supercapacitors.

Self-Assembly of Mesoporous Nanotubes Assembled from Interwoven Ultrathin Birnessite-type MnO2 Nanosheets for Asymmetric Supercapacitors

PubMed Central

Huang, Ming; Zhang, Yuxin; Li, Fei; Zhang, Lili; Ruoff, Rodney S.; Wen, Zhiyu; Liu, Qing

2014-01-01

Porous nanotubes comprised of MnO2 nanosheets were fabricated with a one-pot hydrothermal method using polycarbonate membrane as the template. The diameter and thickness of nanotubes can be controlled by choice of the membrane pore size and the chemistry. The porous MnO2 nanotubes were used as a supercapacitor electrode. The specific capacitance in a three-electrode system was 365 F g−1 at a current density of 0.25 A g−1 with capacitance retention of 90.4% after 3000 cycles. An asymmetric supercapacitor with porous MnO2 nanotubes as the positive electrode and activated graphene as the negative electrode yielded an energy density of 22.5 Wh kg−1 and a maximum power density of 146.2 kW kg−1; these values exceeded those reported for other MnO2 nanostructures. The supercapacitor performance was correlated with the hierarchical structure of the porous MnO2 nanotubes. PMID:24464344

Skin-like pressure and strain sensors based on transparent elastic films of carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Lipomi, Darren J; Vosgueritchian, Michael; Tee, Benjamin C-K; Hellstrom, Sondra L; Lee, Jennifer A; Fox, Courtney H; Bao, Zhenan

2011-10-23

Transparent, elastic conductors are essential components of electronic and optoelectronic devices that facilitate human interaction and biofeedback, such as interactive electronics, implantable medical devices and robotic systems with human-like sensing capabilities. The availability of conducting thin films with these properties could lead to the development of skin-like sensors that stretch reversibly, sense pressure (not just touch), bend into hairpin turns, integrate with collapsible, stretchable and mechanically robust displays and solar cells, and also wrap around non-planar and biological surfaces such as skin and organs, without wrinkling. We report transparent, conducting spray-deposited films of single-walled carbon nanotubes that can be rendered stretchable by applying strain along each axis, and then releasing this strain. This process produces spring-like structures in the nanotubes that accommodate strains of up to 150% and demonstrate conductivities as high as 2,200 S cm(-1) in the stretched state. We also use the nanotube films as electrodes in arrays of transparent, stretchable capacitors, which behave as pressure and strain sensors.

Development of nanowire arrays for neural probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abraham, Jose K.; Xie, Jining; Varadan, Vijay K.

2005-05-01

It is already established that functional electrical stimulation is an effective way to restore many functions of the brain in disabled individuals. The electrical stimulation can be done by using an array of electrodes. Neural probes stimulate or sense the biopotentials mainly through the exposed metal sites. These sites should be smaller relative to the spatial potential distribution so that any potential averaging in the sensing area can be avoided. At the same time, the decrease in size of these sensing sites is limited due to the increase in impedance levels and the thermal noise while decreasing its size. It is known that current density in a planar electrode is not uniform and a higher current density can be observer around the perimeter of the electrodes. Electrical measurements conducted on many nanotubes and nanowires have already proved that it could be possible to use for current density applications and the drawbacks of the present design in neural probes can be overcome by incorporating many nanotechnology solutions. In this paper we present the design and development of nanowire arrays for the neural probe for the multisite contact which has the ability to collect and analyze isolated single unit activity. An array of vertically grown nanowires is used as contact site and many of such arrays can be used for stimulating as well as recording sites. The nanolevel interaction and wireless communication solution can extend to applications involving the treatment of many neurological disorders including Parkinson"s disease, Alzheimer"s disease, spinal injuries and the treatment of blindness and paralyzed patients with minimal or no invasive surgical procedures.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Supported by Macroporous Carbon as an Efficient Enzymatic Biosensing Platform for Glucose.

PubMed

Song, Yonghai; Lu, Xingping; Li, Yi; Guo, Qiaohui; Chen, Shuiliang; Mao, Lanqun; Hou, Haoqing; Wang, Li

2016-01-19

Effective immobilization of enzymes/proteins on an electrode surface is very essential for biosensor development, but it still remains challenging because enzymes/proteins tend to form close-packed structures on the electrode surface. In this work, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) supported by three-dimensional Kenaf Stem-derived porous carbon (3D-KSC) (denoted as 3D-KSC/NCNTs) nanocomposites were constructed as the supporting matrix to load glucose oxidase (GOD) for preparing integrated glucose biosensors. These NCNTs are vertically arrayed on the channel walls of the 3D-KSC via the chemical vapor deposition method, which could noticeably increase the effective surface area, mechanical stability, and active sites (originating from the doped nitrogen) of the nanocomposites. The integrated glucose biosensor exhibits some advantages over the traditional GOD electrodes in terms of the capability to promote the direct electron transfer of GOD, enhance the mechanical stability of the biosensor attributed to the strong interaction between NCNTs and GOD, and enlarge the specific surface area to efficiently load a large number of GODs. The as-prepared biosensor shows a good performance toward both oxygen reduction and glucose biosensing. This study essentially offers a novel approach for the development of biosensors with excellent analytical properties.

Efficient electricity production and simultaneously wastewater treatment via a high-performance photocatalytic fuel cell.

PubMed

Liu, Yanbiao; Li, Jinhua; Zhou, Baoxue; Li, Xuejin; Chen, Hongchong; Chen, Quanpeng; Wang, Zhongsheng; Li, Lei; Wang, Jiulin; Cai, Weimin

2011-07-01

A great quantity of wastewater were discharged into water body, causing serious environmental pollution. Meanwhile, the organic compounds in wastewater are important sources of energy. In this work, a high-performance short TiO(2) nanotube array (STNA) electrode was applied as photoanode material in a novel photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system for electricity production and simultaneously wastewater treatment. The results of current work demonstrate that various model compounds as well as real wastewater samples can be used as substrates for the PFC system. As a representative of model compounds, the acetic acid solution produces the highest cell performance with short-circuit current density 1.42 mA cm(-2), open-circuit voltage 1.48 V and maximum power density output 0.67 mW cm(-2). The STNA photoanode reveals obviously enhanced cell performance compared with TiO(2) nanoparticulate film electrode or other long nanotubes electrode. Moreover, the photoanode material, electrolyte concentration, pH of the initial solution, and cathode material were found to be important factors influencing the system performance of PFC. Therefore, the proposed fuel cell system provides a novel way of energy conversion and effective disposal mode of organics and serves well as a promising technology for wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of polyacrylonitrile-carbon nanotubes composite on carbon cloth as electrode material for microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Kim, Sun-Il; Lee, Jae-Wook; Roh, Sung-Hee

2011-02-01

The performance of carbon nanotubes composite-modified carbon cloth electrodes in two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) was investigated. The electrode modified with polyacrylonitrile-carbon nanotubes (PAN-CNTs) composite showed better electrochemical performance than that of plain carbon cloth. The MFC with the composite-modified anode containing 5 mg/cm2 PAN-CNTs exhibited a maximum power density of 480 mW/m2.

"Quasi-freestanding" graphene-on-single walled carbon nanotube electrode for applications in organic light-emitting diode.

PubMed

Liu, Yanpeng; Jung, Eun; Wang, Yu; Zheng, Yi; Park, Eun Ji; Cho, Sung Min; Loh, Kian Ping

2014-03-12

An air-stable transparent conductive film with "quasi-freestanding" graphene supported on horizontal single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) arrays is fabricated. The sheet resistance of graphene films stacked via layer-by-layer transfer (LBL) on quartz, and modified by 1-Pyrenebutyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (PBASE), is reduced from 273 Ω/sq to about 76 Ω/sq. The electrical properties are stable to heat treatment (up to 200 ºC) and ambient exposure. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) constructed of this carbon anode (T ≈ 89.13% at 550 nm) exhibit ≈88% power efficiency of OLEDs fabricated on an ITO anode (low turn on voltage ≈3.1 eV, high luminance up to ≈29 490 cd/m(2) , current efficiency ≈14.7 cd/A). Most importantly, the entire graphene-on-SWCNT hybrid electrodes can be transferred onto plastic (PET) forming a highly-flexible OLED device, which continues to function without degradation in performance at bending angles >60°. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fabrication of Cu2O/TiO2 Nanotubes Heterojunction Arrays and Investigation of Their Photoelectrochemical Behaviour

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-05

investigate phase transformations in TiO2 NTs after annealing and as a consequence of the functionalization. Electrodeposition was performed in a...deposition Cu2O electrodeposition was performed by polarizing the Ti/TiO2 NTs electrodes at UE = - 0.4 V in the CuSO4 containing bath described in...polarization (UE = - 0.4 V) in the electrodeposition solution (see experimental section). As shown in Fig. 6, in spite of the constant polarizing voltage (i.e

Ultrasensitive Label-free Electronic Chip for DNA Analysis Using Carbon Nanotube Nanoelectrode Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Jun; Koehne, Jessica; Chen, Hua; Cassell, Alan; Ng, Hou Tee; Ye, Qi; Han, Jie; Meyyappan, M.

2004-01-01

There is a strong need for faster, cheaper, and simpler methods for nucleic acid analysis in today s clinical tests. Nanotechnologies can potentially provide solutions to these requirements by integrating nanomaterials with biofunctionalities. Dramatic improvement in the sensitivity and multiplexing can be achieved through the high-degree miniaturization. Here, we present our study in the development of an ultrasensitive label-free electronic chip for DNA/RNA analysis based on carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays. A reliable nanoelectrode array based on vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) embedded in a SiO2 matrix is fabricated using a bottom-up approach. Characteristic nanoelectrode behavior is observed with a low-density MWNT nanoelectrode array in measuring both the bulk and surface immobilized redox species. The open-end of MWNTs are found to present similar properties as graphite edge-plane electrodes, with a wide potential window, flexible chemical functionalities, and good biocompatibility. A BRCA1 related oligonucleotide probe with 18 bases is covalently functionalized at the open ends of the MWNTs and specifically hybridized with an oligonucleotide target as well as a PCR amplicon. The guanine bases in the target molecules are employed as the signal moieties for the electrochemical measurements. Ru(bpy)3(2+) mediator is used to further amplify the guanine oxidation signal. This technique has been employed for direct electrochemical detection of label-free PCR amplicon through specific hybridization with the BRCAl probe. The detection limit is estimated to be less than approximately 1000 DNA molecules, approaching the limit of the sensitivity by laser-based fluorescence techniques in DNA microarray. This system provides a general electronic platform for rapid molecular diagnostics in applications requiring ultrahigh sensitivity, high-degree of miniaturization, simple sample preparation, and low- cost operation.

ELECTROCHEMICAL DETERMINATION OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE AT CARBON NANOTUBE MODIFIED ELECTRODES. (R830900)

EPA Science Inventory

Carbon nanotube (CNT) modified glassy carbon electrodes exhibiting a strong and stable electrocatalytic response towards sulfide are described. A substantial (400 mV) decrease in the overvoltage of the sulfide oxidation reaction (compared to ordinary carbon electrodes) is...

Iridium Oxide Nanotube Electrodes for Highly Sensitive and Prolonged Intracellular Measurement of Action Potentials

PubMed Central

Lin, Ziliang Carter; Xie, Chong; Osakada, Yasuko; Cui, Yi; Cui, Bianxiao

2014-01-01

Intracellular recording of action potentials is important to understand electrically-excitable cells. Recently, vertical nanoelectrodes have been developed to achieve highly sensitive, minimally invasive, and large scale intracellular recording. It has been demonstrated that the vertical geometry is crucial for the enhanced signal detection. Here we develop nanoelectrodes made up of nanotubes of iridium oxide. When cardiomyocytes are cultured upon those nanotubes, the cell membrane not only wraps around the vertical tubes but also protrudes deep into the hollow center. We show that this geometry enhances cell-electrode coupling and results in measuring much larger intracellular action potentials. The nanotube electrodes afford much longer intracellular access and are minimally invasive, making it possible to achieve stable recording up to an hour in a single session and more than 8 days of consecutive daily recording. This study suggests that the electrode performance can be significantly improved by optimizing the electrode geometry. PMID:24487777

Synthesis of chemically bonded graphene/carbon nanotube composites and their application in large volumetric capacitance supercapacitors.

PubMed

Jung, Naeyoung; Kwon, Soongeun; Lee, Dongwook; Yoon, Dong-Myung; Park, Young Min; Benayad, Anass; Choi, Jae-Young; Park, Jong Se

2013-12-17

Chemically bonded graphene/carbon nanotube composites as flexible supercapacitor electrode materials are synthesized by amide bonding. Carbon nanotubes attached along the edges and onto the surface of graphene act as spacers to increase the electrolyte-accessible surface area. Our lamellar structure electrodes demonstrate the largest volumetric capacitance (165 F cm(-3) ) ever shown by carbon-based electrodes. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ti Porous Film-Supported NiCo₂S₄ Nanotubes Counter Electrode for Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells.

PubMed

Deng, Jianping; Wang, Minqiang; Song, Xiaohui; Yang, Zhi; Yuan, Zhaolin

2018-04-17

In this paper, a novel Ti porous film-supported NiCo₂S₄ nanotube was fabricated by the acid etching and two-step hydrothermal method and then used as a counter electrode in a CdS/CdSe quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell. Measurements of the cyclic voltammetry, Tafel polarization curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the symmetric cells revealed that compared with the conventional FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide)/Pt counter electrode, Ti porous film-supported NiCo₂S₄ nanotubes counter electrode exhibited greater electrocatalytic activity toward polysulfide electrolyte and lower charge-transfer resistance at the interface between electrolyte and counter electrode, which remarkably improved the fill factor, short-circuit current density, and power conversion efficiency of the quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell. Under illumination of one sun (100 mW/cm²), the quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell based on Ti porous film-supported NiCo₂S₄ nanotubes counter electrode achieved a power conversion efficiency of 3.14%, which is superior to the cell based on FTO/Pt counter electrode (1.3%).

Decoration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with metal nanoparticles in supercritical carbon dioxide medium as a novel approach for the modification of screen-printed electrodes.

PubMed

Moreno, Virginia; Llorent-Martínez, Eulogio J; Zougagh, Mohammed; Ríos, Angel

2016-12-01

A supercritical carbon dioxide medium was used for the decoration of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with metallic nanoparticles. This procedure allowed the rapid and simple decoration of carbon nanotubes with the selected metallic nanoparticles. The prepared nanomaterials were used to modify screen-printed electrodes, improving their electrochemical properties and allowing to obtain a wide range of working electrodes based on carbon nanotubes. These electrodes were applied to the amperometric determination of vitamin B6 in food and pharmaceutical samples as an example of the analytical potentiality of the electrodes thus prepared. Using Ru-nanoparticles-MWCNTs as the working electrode, a linear dynamic range between 2.6×10 -6 and 2×10 -4 molL -1 and a limit of detection of 0.8×10 -6 molL -1 were obtained. These parameters represented a minimum 3-fold increase in sensitivity compared to the use of bare MWCNTs or other carbon-based working electrodes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single-wall carbon nanotube-based proton exchange membrane assembly for hydrogen fuel cells.

PubMed

Girishkumar, G; Rettker, Matthew; Underhile, Robert; Binz, David; Vinodgopal, K; McGinn, Paul; Kamat, Prashant

2005-08-30

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for hydrogen fuel cells has been fabricated using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) support and platinum catalyst. Films of SWCNTs and commercial platinum (Pt) black were sequentially cast on a carbon fiber electrode (CFE) using a simple electrophoretic deposition procedure. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy showed that the nanotubes and the platinum retained their nanostructure morphology on the carbon fiber surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the carbon nanotube-based electrodes exhibited an order of magnitude lower charge-transfer reaction resistance (R(ct)) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) than did the commercial carbon black (CB)-based electrodes. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) assembly fabricated using the CFE/SWCNT/Pt electrodes was evaluated using a fuel cell testing unit operating with H(2) and O(2) as input fuels at 25 and 60 degrees C. The maximum power density obtained using CFE/SWCNT/Pt electrodes as both the anode and the cathode was approximately 20% better than that using the CFE/CB/Pt electrodes.

A Comparison of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Electrochemical Capacitor Electrode Fabrication Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-24

REPORT A comparison of single-wall carbon nanotube electrochemical capacitor electrode fabrication methods 14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF... Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are being widely investigated as a replacement for activated carbon in super- capacitors. A wide range of CNT specific...ORGANIZATION NAMES AND ADDRESSES U.S. Army Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 15. SUBJECT TERMS Carbon nanotube

Separation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with DEP-FFF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, Howard K.; Peng, Haiqing; Alvarez, Noe; Mendes, Manuel; Pasquali, Matteo

2011-01-01

A process using a modified dielectrophoresis device separates single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) according to their polarizability in electric fields. This depends on the size and dielectric constant of individual nanotubes and easily separates metallic from semiconducting nanotubes. Separation by length has also been demonstrated. Partial separation (enrichment) according to bandgap (which is linked to polarizability) has also been shown and can be improved to full separation of individual types of semiconducting SWNTs with better control over operational parameters and the length of SWNT starting material. This process and device can be scaled affordably to generate useful amounts of semiconducting SWNTs for electronic device development and production. In this study, a flow injection dielectrophoresis technique was used with a modified dielectrophoresis device. The length, width, and height of the modified chamber were 28, 2.5, and 0.025 cm, respectively. On the bottom of the chamber, there are two arrays of 50-m-wide, 2-m-thick gold electrodes, which are connected to an AC voltage generator and are alternately arranged so that every electrode is adjacent to two electrodes of the opposite polar. There is an additional plate electrode on the top of the chamber that is negatively biased. During the experiment, a syringe pump constantly pumps in the mobile phase, 1-percent sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) solution, into the chamber. The frequency and voltage are set to 1 MHz and 10 V peak-to-peak, respectively. About 150 micro-L of SWNTs in 1- percent SDBS decanted solution are injected to the mobile phase through a septum near the entrance of the chamber. The flow rate of the mobile phase is set to 0.02 cu cm/min. The injected SWNTs sample flows through the chamber before it is lead into a fluorescence flow-through cell and collected for further analysis. The flow-through cell has three windows, thus allowing the fluorometer to collect fluorescence spectrum and visible absorption spectrums simultaneously. Dielectrophoresis field-flow fractionation (DEP-FFF) generally depends on interaction of a sedimentation force and DEP force for particle separation, and SWNTs are neutrally buoyant in water. In this innovation, the third electrode was added to create a sedimentation force based on DC electrophoresis. This makes this particular device applicable to separations on any neutrally buoyant particles in solution and a more general process for a broad range of nanomaterials sorting and separations.

Transparent anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays on plastic substrates for disposable biosensors and flexible electronics.

PubMed

Farsinezhad, Samira; Mohammadpour, Arash; Dalrymple, Ashley N; Geisinger, Jared; Kar, Piyush; Brett, Michael J; Shankar, Karthik

2013-04-01

Exploitation of anodically formed self-organized TiO2 nanotube arrays in mass-manufactured, disposable biosensors, rollable electrochromic displays and flexible large-area solar cells would greatly benefit from integration with transparent and flexible polymeric substrates. Such integration requires the vacuum deposition of a thin film of titanium on the desired substrate, which is then anodized in suitable media to generate TiO2 nanotube arrays. However the challenges associated with control of Ti film morphology, nanotube array synthesis conditions, and film adhesion and transparency, have necessitated the use of substrate heating during deposition to temperatures of at least 300 degrees C and as high as 500 degrees C to generate highly ordered open-pore nanotube arrays, thus preventing the use of polymeric substrates. We report on a film growth technique that exploits atomic peening to achieve high quality transparent TiO2 nanotube arrays with lengths up to 5.1 microm at room temperature on polyimide substrates without the need for substrate heating or substrate biasing or a Kauffman ion source. The superior optical quality and uniformity of the nanotube arrays was evidenced by the high specular reflectivity and the smooth pattern of periodic interferometric fringes in the transmission spectra of the nanotube arrays, from which the wavelength-dependent effective refractive index was extracted for the air-TiO2 composite medium. A fluorescent immunoassay biosensor constructed using 5.1 microm-long transparent titania nanotube arrays (TTNAs) grown on Kapton substrates detected human cardiac troponin I at a concentration of 0.1 microg ml(-1).

Low-cost electrodes for stable perovskite solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastos, João P.; Manghooli, Sara; Jaysankar, Manoj; Tait, Jeffrey G.; Qiu, Weiming; Gehlhaar, Robert; De Volder, Michael; Uytterhoeven, Griet; Poortmans, Jef; Paetzold, Ulrich W.

2017-06-01

Cost-effective production of perovskite solar cells on an industrial scale requires the utilization of exclusively inexpensive materials. However, to date, highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells rely on expensive gold electrodes since other metal electrodes are known to cause degradation of the devices. Finding a low-cost electrode that can replace gold and ensure both efficiency and long-term stability is essential for the success of the perovskite-based solar cell technology. In this work, we systematically compare three types of electrode materials: multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), alternative metals (silver, aluminum, and copper), and transparent oxides [indium tin oxide (ITO)] in terms of efficiency, stability, and cost. We show that multi-walled carbon nanotubes are the only electrode that is both more cost-effective and stable than gold. Devices with multi-walled carbon nanotube electrodes present remarkable shelf-life stability, with no decrease in the efficiency even after 180 h of storage in 77% relative humidity (RH). Furthermore, we demonstrate the potential of devices with multi-walled carbon nanotube electrodes to achieve high efficiencies. These developments are an important step forward to mass produce perovskite photovoltaics in a commercially viable way.

ZnO nanotube waveguide arrays on graphene films for local optical excitation on biological cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baek, Hyeonjun; Kwak, Hankyul; Song, Minho S.; Ha, Go Eun; Park, Jongwoo; Tchoe, Youngbin; Hyun, Jerome K.; Park, Hye Yoon; Cheong, Eunji; Yi, Gyu-Chul

2017-04-01

We report on scalable and position-controlled optical nanoprobe arrays using ZnO nanotube waveguides on graphene films for use in local optical excitation. For the waveguide fabrication, position-controlled and well-ordered ZnO nanotube arrays were grown on chemical vapor deposited graphene films with a submicron patterned mask layer and Au prepared between the interspace of nanotubes. Mammalian cells were cultured on the nanotube waveguide arrays and were locally excited by light illuminated through the nanotubes. Fluorescence and optogenetic signals could be excited through the optical nanoprobes. This method offers the ability to investigate cellular behavior with a high spatial resolution that surpasses the current limitation.

The effect of urea on microstructures of Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} on nickel foam and its hydrogen evolution reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jinlong, Lv, E-mail: ljltsinghua@126.com; State Key Lab of New Ceramic and Fine Processing, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084; Tongxiang, Liang, E-mail: txliang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

The effects of urea concentration on microstructures of Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2}formed on nickel foam and its hydrogen evolution reaction were investigated. The Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanosheets with porous structure were formed on nickel foam during hydrothermal process due to low urea concentration. While high urea concentration facilitated the forming of Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanotube arrays. The resulting Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanotube arrays exhibited higher catalytic activity than Ni3S2nanosheets for hydrogen evolution reaction. This was mainly attributed to a fact that Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanotube arrays facilitated diffusion of electrolyte for hydrogen evolution reaction. - Graphical abstract: The resulting Ni{sub 3}S{submore » 2} nanotube arrays exhibited higher catalytic activity than Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanosheets for hydrogen evolution reaction. This was mainly attributed to a fact that Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanotube arrays facilitated diffusion of electrolyte for hydrogen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution. - Highlights: • Urea promoted to forming more Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanotube arrays on nickel foam. • Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanotube arrays showed higher catalytic activity in alkaline solution. • Ni{sub 3}S{sub 2} nanotube arrays promoted electron transport and reaction during the HER.« less

Metal-electrode-free Window-like Organic Solar Cells with p-Doped Carbon Nanotube Thin-film Electrodes

PubMed Central

Jeon, Il; Delacou, Clement; Kaskela, Antti; Kauppinen, Esko I.; Maruyama, Shigeo; Matsuo, Yutaka

2016-01-01

Organic solar cells are flexible and inexpensive, and expected to have a wide range of applications. Many transparent organic solar cells have been reported and their success hinges on full transparency and high power conversion efficiency. Recently, carbon nanotubes and graphene, which meet these criteria, have been used in transparent conductive electrodes. However, their use in top electrodes has been limited by mechanical difficulties in fabrication and doping. Here, expensive metal top electrodes were replaced with high-performance, easy-to-transfer, aerosol-synthesized carbon nanotubes to produce transparent organic solar cells. The carbon nanotubes were p-doped by two new methods: HNO3 doping via ‘sandwich transfer’, and MoOx thermal doping via ‘bridge transfer’. Although both of the doping methods improved the performance of the carbon nanotubes and the photovoltaic performance of devices, sandwich transfer, which gave a 4.1% power conversion efficiency, was slightly more effective than bridge transfer, which produced a power conversion efficiency of 3.4%. Applying a thinner carbon nanotube film with 90% transparency decreased the efficiency to 3.7%, which was still high. Overall, the transparent solar cells had an efficiency of around 50% that of non-transparent metal-based solar cells (7.8%). PMID:27527565

Metal-electrode-free Window-like Organic Solar Cells with p-Doped Carbon Nanotube Thin-film Electrodes.

PubMed

Jeon, Il; Delacou, Clement; Kaskela, Antti; Kauppinen, Esko I; Maruyama, Shigeo; Matsuo, Yutaka

2016-08-16

Organic solar cells are flexible and inexpensive, and expected to have a wide range of applications. Many transparent organic solar cells have been reported and their success hinges on full transparency and high power conversion efficiency. Recently, carbon nanotubes and graphene, which meet these criteria, have been used in transparent conductive electrodes. However, their use in top electrodes has been limited by mechanical difficulties in fabrication and doping. Here, expensive metal top electrodes were replaced with high-performance, easy-to-transfer, aerosol-synthesized carbon nanotubes to produce transparent organic solar cells. The carbon nanotubes were p-doped by two new methods: HNO3 doping via 'sandwich transfer', and MoOx thermal doping via 'bridge transfer'. Although both of the doping methods improved the performance of the carbon nanotubes and the photovoltaic performance of devices, sandwich transfer, which gave a 4.1% power conversion efficiency, was slightly more effective than bridge transfer, which produced a power conversion efficiency of 3.4%. Applying a thinner carbon nanotube film with 90% transparency decreased the efficiency to 3.7%, which was still high. Overall, the transparent solar cells had an efficiency of around 50% that of non-transparent metal-based solar cells (7.8%).

Low-dimensional carbon and MXene-based electrochemical capacitor electrodes.

PubMed

Yoon, Yeoheung; Lee, Keunsik; Lee, Hyoyoung

2016-04-29

Due to their unique structure and outstanding intrinsic physical properties such as extraordinarily high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and various chemical functionalities, low-dimension-based materials exhibit great potential for application in electrochemical capacitors (ECs). The electrical properties of electrochemical capacitors are determined by the electrode materials. Because energy charge storage is a surface process, the surface properties of the electrode materials greatly influence the electrochemical performance of the cell. Recently, graphene, a single layer of sp(2)-bonded carbon atoms arrayed into two-dimensional carbon nanomaterial, has attracted wide interest as an electrode material for electrochemical capacitor applications due to its unique properties, including a high electrical conductivity and large surface area. Several low-dimensional materials with large surface areas and high conductivity such as onion-like carbons (OLCs), carbide-derived carbons (CDCs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, metal hydroxide, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and most recently MXene, have been developed for electrochemical capacitors. Therefore, it is useful to understand the current issues of low-dimensional materials and their device applications.

Laser Processing of Carbon Nanotube Transparent Conducting Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, Andrew

Transparent conducting films, or TCFs, are 2D electrical conductors with the ability to transmit light. Because of this, they are used in many popular electronics including smart phones, tablets, solar panels, and televisions. The most common material used as a TCF is indium tin oxide, or ITO. Although ITO has great electrical and optical characteristics, it is expensive, brittle, and difficult to pattern. These limitations have led researchers toward other materials for the next generation of displays and touch panels. The most promising material for next generation TCFs is carbon nanotubes, or CNTs. CNTs are cylindrical tubes of carbon no more than a few atoms thick. They have different electrical and optical properties depending on their atomic structure, and are extremely strong. As an electrode, they conduct electricity through an array of randomly dispersed tubes. The array is highly transparent because of gaps between the tubes, and size and optical properties of the CNTs. Many research groups have tried making CNT TCFs with opto-electric properties similar to ITO but have difficultly achieving high conductivity. This is partly attributed to impurities from fabrication and a mix of different tube types, but is mainly caused by low junction conductivity. In functionalized nanotubes, junction conductivity is impaired by covalently bonded molecules added to the sidewalls of the tubes. The addition of this molecule, known as functionalization, is designed to facilitate CNT dispersion in a solvent by adding properties of the molecule to the CNTs. While necessary for a good solution, functionalization decreases the conductivity in the CNT array by creating defects in the tube's structures and preventing direct inter-carbon bonding. This research investigates removing the functional coating (after tube deposition) by laser processing. Laser light is able to preferentially heat the CNTs because of their optical and electrical properties. Through local conduction, the relatively weak functional molecules are thermally decomposed. This restores the pristine CNT structure and allows carbon to carbon bonds to form; thereby significantly improving the junction and sheet conductivity. Laser processing is performed without damaging the TCF substrate (usually glass or PET) because laser light is not absorbed by the substrate and conduction from the CNTs is limited. In addition to removing the functional coating, laser light improves the electrical conductivity by purifying the CNT array. The purity is improved through the ablation of defective tubes and amorphous carbon in the CNT film.[1] Using higher laser power, it is possible to locally remove the CNTs. Selective laser removal of the CNTs is a dry process that can be used to pattern the electrode. This is a much simpler and less expensive patterning technique than wet acid etching used for ITO. In summary, laser processing of CNT TCFs is shown to improve the electrical conductivity by defunctionalizing the CNTs. In addition, laser exposure increases purity by removing defects and can be used to pattern the electrode. These advances make CNTs more competitive as an alternative for ITO which has both cost and performance limitations. [1] T. Ueda, S. K. (2008). Effect of laser irradiation on carbon nanotube films for NOx gas sensor. Surface & Coatings Technology, 202, 5325--5328.

Single-walled carbon nanotube electromechanical switching behavior with shoulder slip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, Peter; Wu, Yu-Chiao; Somu, Sivasubramanian; Adams, George; McGruer, Nicol

2011-04-01

Several electromechanical devices, each consisting of a small bundle of single-walled carbon nanotubes suspended over an actuation electrode, have been fabricated and operated electrically. The nanotubes are assembled on the electrodes using dielectrophoresis, a potential high-rate nanomanufacturing process. A large decrease in the threshold voltage was seen after the first actuation. This is a result of the nanotubes sliding inward on their supports as they are pulled down toward the actuation electrode, leaving slack in the nanotube bundle for subsequent actuations. The electrical measurements agree well with an electromechanical model that uses a literature-reported value of the shear stress between the nanotubes and the SiO2 shoulders. Electrical measurements were performed in dry nitrogen as a large build-up of contamination was seen when the measurements were performed in lab air. We present measurements as well as a detailed mechanics model that support the interpretation of the data.

Carbon Nanotubes versus Graphene as Flexible Transparent Electrodes in Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Jeon, Il; Yoon, Jungjin; Ahn, Namyoung; Atwa, Mohamed; Delacou, Clement; Anisimov, Anton; Kauppinen, Esko I; Choi, Mansoo; Maruyama, Shigeo; Matsuo, Yutaka

2017-11-02

Transparent carbon electrodes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene were used as the bottom electrode in flexible inverted perovskite solar cells. Their photovoltaic performance and mechanical resilience were compared and analyzed using various techniques. Whereas a conventional inverted perovskite solar cells using indium tin oxide showed a power conversion efficiency of 17.8%, the carbon nanotube- and graphene-based cells showed efficiencies of 12.8% and 14.2%, respectively. An established MoO 3 doping was used for  carbon electrode-based devices. The difference in the photovoltaic performance between the carbon nanotube- and graphene-based cells was due to the difference in morphology and transmittance. Raman spectroscopy, and cyclic flexural testing revealed that the graphene-based cells were more susceptible to strain than the carbon nanotube-based cells, though the difference was marginal. Overall, despite higher performance, the transfer step for graphene has lower reproducibility. Thus, the development of better graphene transfer methods would help maximize the current capacity of graphene-based cells.

Microelectrode array fabrication for electrochemical detection with carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, James

Understanding how the brain works remains one of the key challenges for scientists. To further this understanding a wide variety of technologies and research methods have been developed. One such technology is conductive electrodes, used to measure the electrical signals elicited from neuronal cells and tissues. These electrodes can be fabricated as a singular electrode or as a multi-electrode array (MEA). This permits bio-electrical measurements from one particular area or simultaneous measurements from multiple areas, respectively. Studying electrical and chemical signals of individual cells in situ requires the use of electrodes with ≤20 µm diameter. However, electrodes of this size generally produce high impedance, perturbing recording of the small signals generated from individual cells. Nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), can be deposited to increase the real surface area of these electrodes, producing higher sensitivity measurements. This thesis investigates the potential for using photo-thermal chemical vapour deposition grown CNTs as the electrode material for a de novo fabricated MEA. This device aimed to measure electrochemical signals in the form of dopamine, an important mammalian neurotransmitter, as well as conventional bio-electrical signals that the device is designed for. Realising this aim began with improving CNT aqueous wetting behaviour via oxygen plasma functionalisation. This procedure demonstrated grafting of oxygen functional groups to the CNT structure, and dramatic improvements in aqueous wetting behaviour, with CNTs attached to the device. Subsequently, oxygen plasma functionalised CNT-based MEAs were fabricated and tested, allowing comparisons with a non-functionalised CNT MEA and a state-of-the-art commercial MEA. The functionalised CNT MEA demonstrated an order of magnitude improvement compared to commercial MEAs (2.75 kΩ vs. 25.6 kΩ), at the biologically relevant frequency of 1 kHz. This was followed by measurement of one of the best sensitivity density values, compared to the available literature, for the electrochemical detection of dopamine (9.48 µA µM-1 mm-2). The functionalised CNT MEA then illustrated some selectivity compared to common interferents, i.e. ascorbic acid, of a higher concentration. Nonetheless, imaging of the MEA revealed CNTs were being removed from the electrode areas due to extensive use. Therefore, the final results chapter aimed to develop a novel fabrication route for CNT-based MEAs that produced improved CNT retention on the electrodes. This next-generation functionalised CNT-based MEA displayed improved CNT retention, whilst also producing competitive electrochemical impedance values at 1 kHz (17.8 kΩ) and excellent electrochemical selectivity for dopamine vs. ascorbic acid. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the potential for using MEAs as electrochemical detectors of biological molecules, specifically when using functionalised CNTs as the electrode material.

Gas Composition Sensing Using Carbon Nanotube Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Jing; Meyyappan, Meyya

2012-01-01

This innovation is a lightweight, small sensor for inert gases that consumes a relatively small amount of power and provides measurements that are as accurate as conventional approaches. The sensing approach is based on generating an electrical discharge and measuring the specific gas breakdown voltage associated with each gas present in a sample. An array of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a substrate is connected to a variable-pulse voltage source. The CNT tips are spaced appropriately from the second electrode maintained at a constant voltage. A sequence of voltage pulses is applied and a pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage is estimated for one or more gas components, from an analysis of the current-voltage characteristics. Each estimated pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage is compared with known threshold voltages for candidate gas components to estimate whether at least one candidate gas component is present in the gas. The procedure can be repeated at higher pulse voltages to estimate a pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage for a second component present in the gas. The CNTs in the gas sensor have a sharp (low radius of curvature) tip; they are preferably multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or carbon nanofibers (CNFs), to generate high-strength electrical fields adjacent to the tips for breakdown of the gas components with lower voltage application and generation of high current. The sensor system can provide a high-sensitivity, low-power-consumption tool that is very specific for identification of one or more gas components. The sensor can be multiplexed to measure current from multiple CNT arrays for simultaneous detection of several gas components.

Toward lithium ion batteries with enhanced thermal conductivity.

PubMed

Koo, Bonil; Goli, Pradyumna; Sumant, Anirudha V; dos Santos Claro, Paula Cecilia; Rajh, Tijana; Johnson, Christopher S; Balandin, Alexander A; Shevchenko, Elena V

2014-07-22

As batteries become more powerful and utilized in diverse applications, thermal management becomes one of the central problems in their application. We report the results on thermal properties of a set of different Li-ion battery electrodes enhanced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Our measurements reveal that the highest in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities achieved in the carbon-nanotube-enhanced electrodes reached up to 141 and 3.6 W/mK, respectively. The values for in-plane thermal conductivity are up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than those for conventional electrodes based on carbon black. The electrodes were synthesized via an inexpensive scalable filtration method, and we demonstrate that our approach can be extended to commercial electrode-active materials. The best performing electrodes contained a layer of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes sandwiched between two layers of carbon nanotubes and had in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of ∼50 and 3 W/mK, respectively, at room temperature. The obtained results are important for thermal management in Li-ion and other high-power-density batteries.

Fast Electromechanical Switches Based on Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaul, Anupama; Wong, Eric; Epp, Larry

2008-01-01

Electrostatically actuated nanoelectromechanical switches based on carbon nanotubes have been fabricated and tested in a continuing effort to develop high-speed switches for a variety of stationary and portable electronic equipment. As explained below, these devices offer advantages over electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical switches, which, heretofore, have represented the state of the art of rapid, highly miniaturized electromechanical switches. Potential applications for these devices include computer memories, cellular telephones, communication networks, scientific instrumentation, and general radiation-hard electronic equipment. A representative device of the present type includes a single-wall carbon nanotube suspended over a trench about 130 nm wide and 20 nm deep in an electrically insulating material. The ends of the carbon nanotube are connected to metal electrodes, denoted the source and drain electrodes. At bottom of the trench is another metal electrode, denoted the pull electrode (see figure). In the off or open switch state, no voltage is applied, and the nanotube remains out of contact with the pull electrode. When a sufficiently large electric potential (switching potential) is applied between the pull electrode and either or both of the source and drain electrodes, the resulting electrostatic attraction bends and stretches the nanotube into contact with the pull electrode, thereby putting the switch into the "on" or "closed" state, in which substantial current (typically as much as hundreds of nanoamperes) is conducted. Devices of this type for use in initial experiments were fabricated on a thermally oxidized Si wafer, onto which Nb was sputter-deposited for use as the pull-electrode layer. Nb was chosen because its refractory nature would enable it to withstand the chemical and thermal conditions to be subsequently imposed for growing carbon nanotubes. A 200- nm-thick layer of SiO2 was formed on top of the Nb layer by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. In the device regions, the SiO2 layer was patterned to thin it to the 20-nm trench depth. The trenches were then patterned by electron- beam lithography and formed by reactive- ion etching of the pattern through the 20-nm-thick SiO2 to the Nb layer.

Embedded arrays of vertically aligned carbon nanotube carpets and methods for making them

DOEpatents

Kim, Myung Jong; Nicholas, Nolan Walker; Kittrell, W. Carter; Schmidt, Howard K.

2015-06-30

According to some embodiments, the present invention provides a system and method for supporting a carbon nanotube array that involve an entangled carbon nanotube mat integral with the array, where the mat is embedded in an embedding material. The embedding material may be depositable on a carbon nanotube. A depositable material may be metallic or nonmetallic. The embedding material may be an adhesive material. The adhesive material may optionally be mixed with a metal powder. The embedding material may be supported by a substrate or self-supportive. The embedding material may be conductive or nonconductive. The system and method provide superior mechanical and, when applicable, electrical, contact between the carbon nanotubes in the array and the embedding material. The optional use of a conductive material for the embedding material provides a mechanism useful for integration of carbon nanotube arrays into electronic devices.

Nanotube Film Electrode and an Electroactive Device Fabricated with the Nanotube Film Electrode and Methods for Making Same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kang, Jin Ho (Inventor); Harrison, Joycelyn S. (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Disclosed is a single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film electrode (FE), all-organic electroactive device systems fabricated with the SWNT-FE, and methods for making same. The SWCNT can be replaced by other types of nanotubes. The SWCNT film can be obtained by filtering SWCNT solution onto the surface of an anodized alumina membrane. A freestanding flexible SWCNT film can be collected by breaking up this brittle membrane. The conductivity of this SWCNT film can advantageously be higher than 280 S/cm. An electroactive polymer (EAP) actuator layered with the SWNT-FE shows a higher electric field-induced strain than an EAP layered with metal electrodes because the flexible SWNT-FE relieves the restraint of the displacement of the polymeric active layer as compared to the metal electrode. In addition, if thin enough, the SWNT-FE is transparent in the visible light range, thus making it suitable for use in actuators used in optical devices.

SWCNT Supercapacitor Electrode Fabrication Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

supercapacitor electrodes out of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). We have found that it is best to use SWCNT solutions free from additives that...effect on the resulting specific capacitance, as did the deposition methods compared here. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Carbon nanotube , electrochemical...area may increase the capacitance of supercapacitors. Two materials being studied for this are carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene. Graphene is a

Enhanced photoelectrochemical degradation of Ibuprofen and generation of hydrogen via BiOI-deposited TiO2 nanotube arrays.

PubMed

Chen, Hanlin; Peng, Yen-Ping; Chen, Ting-Yu; Chen, Ku-Fan; Chang, Ken-Lin; Dang, Zhi; Lu, Gui-Ning; He, Hongping

2018-08-15

This study employed BiOI-deposited TiO 2 nanotube arrays (BiOI-TNTAs) electrode in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) system to oxidize Ibuprofen and generate hydrogen in the anodic and cathodic chamber, respectively. FESEM results revealed the diameter of TiO 2 nanotubes was 90-110nm. According to the XRD analysis, the BiOI-TNTAs were dominated by the anatase phase and tetragonal structure of BiOI. XPS results confirmed the coexistence of BiOI in the BiOI-TNTAs associated with Bi (33.76%) and I (8.81%). UV-vis absorption spectra illustrated BiOI-TNTAs exhibit strong absorptions in the visible light region. The PEC method showed the best degradation efficiency for Ibuprofen is a rate constant of 3.21×10 -2 min -1 . The results of the Nyquist plot revealed the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs was inhibited as the bias potential was applied. Furthermore, the Bode plot demonstrated the lifetime (τ el ) of photoexcited electrons of BiOI-TNTAs was 1.8 and 4.1 times longer than that of BiOI-Ti and TNTAs, respectively. In the cathodic chamber, the amount of hydrogen generation reached 219.94μM/cm 2 after 3h of reaction time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Laser-assisted simultaneous transfer and patterning of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on polymer substrates for flexible devices.

PubMed

In, Jung Bin; Lee, Daeho; Fornasiero, Francesco; Noy, Aleksandr; Grigoropoulos, Costas P

2012-09-25

We demonstrate a laser-assisted dry transfer technique for assembling patterns of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on a flexible polymeric substrate. A laser beam is applied to the interface of a nanotube array and a polycarbonate sheet in contact with one another. The absorbed laser heat promotes nanotube adhesion to the polymer in the irradiated regions and enables selective pattern transfer. A combination of the thermal transfer mechanism with rapid direct writing capability of focused laser beam irradiation allows us to achieve simultaneous material transfer and direct micropatterning in a single processing step. Furthermore, we demonstrate that malleability of the nanotube arrays transferred onto a flexible substrate enables post-transfer tailoring of electric conductance by collapsing the aligned nanotubes in different directions. This work suggests that the laser-assisted transfer technique provides an efficient route to using vertically aligned nanotubes as conductive elements in flexible device applications.

Determination of COD based on Photoelectrocatalysis of FeTiO3.TiO2/Ti Electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibowo, D.; Ruslan; Maulidiyah; Nurdin, M.

2017-11-01

Iron infrastructure technology of (Fe)-doped TiO2 nanotubes arrays (NTAs) was prepared for COD photoelectrocatalysis sensor. Fe-TiO2 NTAs was prepared using sol-gel method and coated with TiO2/Ti electrode by immersion technique. The optimization of COD photoelectrocatalytic sensor against Rhodamine B, Methyl Orange, and Methylene Blue organic dyes using photoelectrochemical system in a batch reactor. The high ordered FeTiO3.TiO2/Ti NTAs to determine COD value showed the high photocurrent response linearity and sensitivity to MO organic dye from the concentration of 5 ppm to 75 ppm with an average RSD value of 3.35. The development in this research is to utilize ilmenite mineral as model applied to COD sensor.

Electrodes from carbon nanotubes/NiO nanocomposites synthesized in modified Watts bath for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakamada, Masataka; Abe, Tatsuhiko; Mabuchi, Mamoru

2016-09-01

A modified Watts bath coupled with pulsed current electroplating is used to uniformly deposit ultrafine nickel oxide particles (diameter < 4 nm) on multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The capacitance of the multiwalled carbon nanotubes/nickel oxide electrodes was as high as 2480 F g-1 (per mass of nickel oxide), which is close to the theoretical capacitance of NiO.

Controlled Synthesis and Functionalization of Vertically-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Multifunctional Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-07

6 1.6 Lithium - Ion Batteries Based on Vertically-Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrodes and Ionic...Cl, Br, or I) Prepared by Ball-Milling and Used as Anode Materials for Lithium - Ion Batteries ……………....................23 3.4 Well-Defined Two...9 1.6 Lithium - Ion Batteries Based on Vertically-Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrodes and Ionic Liquid Electrolytes

Matrix-assisted energy conversion in nanostructured piezoelectric arrays

DOEpatents

Sirbuly, Donald J.; Wang, Xianying; Wang, Yinmin

2013-01-01

A nanoconverter is capable of directly generating electricity through a nanostructure embedded in a polymer layer experiencing differential thermal expansion in a stress transfer zone. High surface-to-volume ratio semiconductor nanowires or nanotubes (such as ZnO, silicon, carbon, etc.) are grown either aligned or substantially vertically aligned on a substrate. The resulting nanoforest is then embedded with the polymer layer, which transfers stress to the nanostructures in the stress transfer zone, thereby creating a nanostructure voltage output due to the piezoelectric effect acting on the nanostructure. Electrodes attached at both ends of the nanostructures generate output power at densities of .about.20 nW/cm.sup.2 with heating temperatures of .about.65.degree. C. Nanoconverters arrayed in a series parallel arrangement may be constructed in planar, stacked, or rolled arrays to supply power to nano- and micro-devices without use of external batteries.

Hydrothermal synthesis of cobalt sulfide nanotubes: The size control and its application in supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Houzhao; Ji, Xiao; Jiang, Jianjun; Yu, Jingwen; Miao, Ling; Zhang, Li; Bie, Shaowei; Chen, Haichao; Ruan, Yunjun

2013-12-01

Cobalt sulfide nanotubes are synthesized by hydrothermal method. The precursor is characterized by XRD, FTIR and SEM. We study the influence of temperature on the evolution of this special coarse shape nanostructure and analyze relationship between the sizes of cobalt sulfide nanotubes and the capacitive properties of active materials. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are used to study the effects of microstructure and morphology of the samples on their capacitance and conductivity. The specific capacitance of cobalt sulfide nanotubes (obtained in 80 °C) electrode exhibits a capacitance of 285 F g-1 at the current density of 0.5 A g-1 as well as rather good cycling stability. Moreover, during the cycling process, the coulombic efficiency remains 99%. The as-prepared cobalt sulfide nanotubes electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical performance as electrode materials for supercapacitors.

High-performance supercapacitors of Cu-based porous coordination polymer nanowires and the derived porous CuO nanotubes.

PubMed

Wu, Meng-Ke; Zhou, Jiao-Jiao; Yi, Fei-Yan; Chen, Chen; Li, Yan-Li; Li, Qin; Tao, Kai; Han, Lei

2017-12-12

Electrode materials for supercapacitors with one-dimensional porous nanostructures, such as nanowires and nanotubes, are very attractive for high-efficiency storage of electrochemical energy. Herein, ultralong Cu-based porous coordination polymer nanowires (copper-l-aspartic acid) were used as the electrode material for supercapacitors, for the first time. The as-prepared material exhibits a high specific capacitance of 367 F g -1 at 0.6 A g -1 and excellent cycling stability (94% retention over 1000 cycles). Moreover, porous CuO nanotubes were successfully fabricated by the thermal decomposition of this nanowire precursor. The CuO nanotube exhibits good electrochemical performance with high rate capacity (77% retention at 12.5 A g -1 ) and long-term stability (96% retention over 1000 cycles). The strategy developed here for the synthesis of porous nanowires and nanotubes can be extended to the construction of other electrode materials for more efficient energy storage.

Multifunctional Yarns and Fabrics for Energy Applications (NBIT Phase 2)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-29

project focus on developing biscrolled carbon nanotube yarns and textiles for supercapacitor /battery and fuel cell electrode applications was chosen...redox supercapacitors resulted from program work. While project focus was on fuel cell and energy storage electrodes based on biscrolled yarns...project focus on developing biscrolled carbon nanotube yarns and textiles for supercapacitor /battery and fuel cell electrode applications was chosen

Array of aligned and dispersed carbon nanotubes and method of producing the array

DOEpatents

Ivanov, Ilia N [Knoxville, TN; Simpson, John T [Clinton, TN; Hendricks, Troy R [Knoxville, TN

2012-06-19

An array of aligned and dispersed carbon nanotubes includes an elongate drawn body including a plurality of channels extending therethrough from a first end to a second end of the body, where the channels have a number density of at least about 100,000 channels/mm.sup.2 over a transverse cross-section of the body. A plurality of carbon nanotubes are disposed in each channel, and the carbon nanotubes are sufficiently dispersed and aligned along a length of the channels for the array to comprise an average resistivity per channel of about 9700 .OMEGA.m or less.

Array of aligned and dispersed carbon nanotubes and method of producing the array

DOEpatents

Ivanov, Ilia N; Simpson, John T; Hendricks, Troy R

2013-06-11

An array of aligned and dispersed carbon nanotubes includes an elongate drawn body including a plurality of channels extending therethrough from a first end to a second end of the body, where the channels have a number density of at least about 100,000 channels/mm.sup.2 over a transverse cross-section of the body. A plurality of carbon nanotubes are disposed in each channel, and the carbon nanotubes are sufficiently dispersed and aligned along a length of the channels for the array to comprise an average resistivity per channel of about 9700 .OMEGA.m or less.

Effects of Functionalization of TiO2 Nanotube Array Sensors with Pd Nanoparticles on Their Selectivity

PubMed Central

Park, Sunghoon; Kim, Soohyun; Park, Suyoung; Lee, Wan In; Lee, Chongmu

2014-01-01

This study compared the responses of Pd-functionalized and pristine titanate (TiO2) nanotube arrays to ethanol with those to acetone to determine the effects of functionalization of TiO2 nanotubes with Pd nanoparticles on the sensitivity and selectivity. The responses of pristine and Pd-functionalized TiO2 nanotube arrays to ethanol gas at 200 °C were ∼2877% and ∼21,253%, respectively. On the other hand, the responses of pristine and Pd-functionalized TiO2 nanotube arrays to acetone gas at 250 °C were ∼1636% and 8746% respectively. In the case of ethanol sensing, the response and recovery times of Pd-functionalized TiO2 nanotubes (10.2 and 7.1 s) were obviously shorter than those of pristine TiO2 nanotubes (14.3 and 8.8 s), respectively. In contrast, in the case of acetone sensing the response and recovery times of Pd-functionalized TiO2 nanotubes (42.5 and 19.7 s) were almost the same as those of pristine TiO2 nanotubes (47.2 and 17.9 s). TiO2 nanotube arrays showed the strongest response to ethanol and Pd functionalization was the most effective in improving the response of TiO2 nanotubes to ethanol among six different types of gases: ethanol, acetone, CO, H2, NH3 and NO2. The origin of the superior sensing properties of Pd-functionalized TiO2 nanotubes toward ethanol to acetone is also discussed. PMID:25166499

The detection of improvised nonmilitary peroxide based explosives using a titania nanotube array sensor.

PubMed

Banerjee, Subarna; Mohapatra, Susanta K; Misra, Mano; Mishra, Indu B

2009-02-18

There is a critical need to develop an efficient, reliable and highly selective sensor for the detection of improvised nonmilitary explosives. This paper describes the utilization of functionalized titania nanotube arrays for sensing improvised organic peroxide explosives such as triacetone triperoxide (TATP). TATP forms complexes with titania nanotube arrays (prepared by anodization and sensitized with zinc ions) and thus affects the electron state of the nanosensing device, which is signaled as a change in current of the overall nanotube material. The response is rapid and a signal of five to eight orders of magnitude is observed. These nanotube array sensors can be used as hand-held miniaturized devices as well as large scale portable units for military and homeland security applications.

Enhanced performance of starter lighting ignition type lead-acid batteries with carbon nanotubes as an additive to the active mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marom, Rotem; Ziv, Baruch; Banerjee, Anjan; Cahana, Beni; Luski, Shalom; Aurbach, Doron

2015-11-01

Addition of various carbon materials into lead-acid battery electrodes was studied and examined in order to enhance the power density, improve cycle life and stability of both negative and positive electrodes in lead acid batteries. High electrical-conductivity, high-aspect ratio, good mechanical properties and chemical stability of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT, unmodified and mofified with carboxylic groups) position them as viable additives to enhance the electrodes' electrical conductivity, to mitigate the well-known sulfation failure mechanism and improve the physical integration of the electrodes. In this study, we investigated the incorporation-effect of carbon nanotubes (CNT) to the positive and the negative active materials in lead-acid battery prototypes in a configuration of flooded cells, as well as gelled cells. The cells were tested at 25% and 30% depth-of-discharge (DOD). The positive effect of the carbon nanotubes (CNT) utilization as additives to both positive and negative electrodes of lead-acid batteries was clearly demonstrated and is explained herein based on microscopic studies.

Shape-coded silica nanotubes for multiplexed bioassay: rapid and reliable magnetic decoding protocols

PubMed Central

He, Bo; Kim, Sung Kyoung; Son, Sang Jun; Lee, Sang Bok

2010-01-01

Aims The recent development of 1D barcode arrays has proved their capabilities to be applicable to highly multiplexed bioassays. This article introduces two magnetic decoding protocols for suspension arrays of shape-coded silica nanotubes to process multiplexed assays rapidly and easily, which will benefit the minimization and automation of the arrays. Methods In the first protocol, the magnetic nanocrystals are incorporated into the inner voids of barcoded silica nanotubes in order to give the nanotubes magnetic properties. The second protocol is performed by trapping the barcoded silica nanotubes onto streptavidin-modified magnetic beads. Results The rapid and easy decoding process was demonstrated by applying the above two protocols to multiplexed assays, resulting in high selectivity. Furthermore, the magnetic bead-trapped barcode nanotubes provided a great opportunity to exclude the use of dye molecules in multiplexed assays by using barcode nanotubes as signals. Conclusion The rapid and easy manipulation of encoded carriers using magnetic properties could be used to develop promising suspension arrays for portable bioassays. PMID:20025466

A titania nanotube-array room-temperature sensor for selective detection of hydrogen at low concentrations.

PubMed

Varghese, Oomman K; Mor, Gopal K; Grimes, Craig A; Paulose, Maggie; Mukherjee, Niloy

2004-09-01

A tremendous variation in electrical resistance, from the semiconductor to metallic range, has been observed in titania nanotube arrays at room temperature, approximately 25 degrees C, in the presence of < or = 1000 ppm hydrogen gas. The nanotube arrays are fabricated by anodizing titanium foil in an aqueous electrolyte solution containing hydrofluoric acid and acetic acid. Subsequently, the arrays are coated with a 10 nm layer of palladium by evaporation. Electrical contacts are made by sputtering a 2 mm diameter platinum disk atop the Pd-coated nanotube array. These sensors exhibit a resistance variation of the order of 10(4) in the presence of 100 ppm hydrogen at 25 degrees C. The sensors demonstrate complete reversibility, repeatability, high selectivity, negligible drift and wide dynamic range. The nanoscale geometry of the nanotubes, in particular the points of tube-to-tube contact, is believed to be responsible for the outstanding hydrogen gas sensitivities.

Periodically striped films produced from super-aligned carbon nanotube arrays.

PubMed

Liu, Kai; Sun, Yinghui; Liu, Peng; Wang, Jiaping; Li, Qunqing; Fan, Shoushan; Jiang, Kaili

2009-08-19

We report a novel way to draw films from super-aligned carbon nanotube arrays at large drawing angles. The obtained super-aligned carbon nanotube films have a periodically striped configuration with alternating thinner and thicker film sections, and the width of the stripes is equal to the height of the original arrays. Compared with ordinary uniform films, the striped films provide a better platform for understanding the mechanism of spinning films from arrays because carbon nanotube junctions are easily observed and identified at the boundary of the stripes. Further studies show that the carbon nanotube junctions are bottleneck positions for thermal conduction and mechanical strength of the film, but do not limit its electrical conduction. These films can be utilized as striped and high-degree polarized light emission sources. Our results will be valuable for new applications and future large-scale production of tunable super-aligned carbon nanotube films.

Fringing-field dielectrophoretic assembly of ultrahigh-density semiconducting nanotube arrays with a self-limited pitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Qing; Han, Shu-Jen; Tulevski, George S.

2014-09-01

One key challenge of realizing practical high-performance electronic devices based on single-walled carbon nanotubes is to produce electronically pure nanotube arrays with both a minuscule and uniform inter-tube pitch for sufficient device-packing density and homogeneity. Here we develop a method in which the alternating voltage-fringing electric field formed between surface microelectrodes and the substrate is utilized to assemble semiconducting nanotubes into well-aligned, ultrahigh-density and submonolayered arrays, with a consistent pitch as small as 21±6 nm determined by a self-limiting mechanism, based on the unique field focusing and screening effects of the fringing field. Field-effect transistors based on such nanotube arrays exhibit record high device transconductance (>50 μS μm-1) and decent on current per nanotube (~1 μA per tube) together with high on/off ratios at a drain bias of -1 V.

Enhancement in photo-electrochemical efficiency by reducing recombination rate in branched TiO2 nanotube array on functionalizing with ZnO micro crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boda, Muzaffar Ahmad; Ashraf Shah, Mohammad

2018-06-01

In this study, branched TiO2 nanotube array were fabricated through electrochemical anodization process at constant voltage using third generation electrolyte. On account of morphological advantage, these nanotubes shows significant enhancement in photo-electrochemical property than compact or conventional titania nanotube array. However, their photo-electrochemical efficiency intensifies on coating with ZnO micro-crystals. ZnO coated branched TiO2 nanotube array shows a photocurrent density of 27.8 mA cm‑2 which is 1.55 times the photocurrent density (17.2 mA cm‑2) shown by bare branched titania nanotubes. The significant enhancement in photocurrent density shown by the resulting ZnO/TiO2 hybrid structure is attributed to suppression in electron–hole recombination phenomenon by offering smooth pathway to photo generated excitons on account of staggered band edge positions in individual semiconductors.

Nanotubular polyaniline electrode for supercapacitor application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Athira, A. R.; Vimuna, V. M.; Vidya, K.; Xavier, T. S.

2018-05-01

Polyaniline(PANI) nanotubes have been successfully synthesised at room temperature by the chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline with Ammoniumpersulphate(APS) in aqueous acetic acid. Chemically synthesised PANI nanotubes were characterized using Field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), Brunauer - Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, X ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The super capacitive performance of the synthesised PANI nanotubes was tested using cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique in H2SO4 electrolyte with in potential range of -0.2 to 0.8V. The effect of scan rates on specific capacitance of PANI electrode was studied. The highest specific capacitance of 232.2Fg-1 was obtained for the scan rate of 5mVs-1. This study suggests that the synthesized PANI nanotubes are excellent candidate for developing electrode materials for supercapacitors.

Making Carbon-Nanotube Arrays Using Block Copolymers: Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bronikowski, Michael

2004-01-01

Some changes have been incorporated into a proposed method of manufacturing regular arrays of precisely sized, shaped, positioned, and oriented carbon nanotubes. Such arrays could be useful as mechanical resonators for signal filters and oscillators, and as electrophoretic filters for use in biochemical assays. A prior version of the method was described in Block Copolymers as Templates for Arrays of Carbon Nanotubes, (NPO-30240), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 4 (April 2003), page 56. To recapitulate from that article: As in other previously reported methods, carbon nanotubes would be formed by decomposition of carbon-containing gases over nanometer-sized catalytic metal particles that had been deposited on suitable substrates. Unlike in other previously reported methods, the catalytic metal particles would not be so randomly and densely distributed as to give rise to thick, irregular mats of nanotubes with a variety of lengths, diameters, and orientations. Instead, in order to obtain regular arrays of spaced-apart carbon nanotubes as nearly identical as possible, the catalytic metal particles would be formed in predetermined regular patterns with precise spacings. The regularity of the arrays would be ensured by the use of nanostructured templates made of block copolymers.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arendt, Paul N.; DePaula, Ramond F.; Zhu, Yuntian T.

An array of carbon nanotubes is prepared by exposing a catalyst structure to a carbon nanotube precursor. Embodiment catalyst structures include one or more trenches, channels, or a combination of trenches and channels. A system for preparing the array includes a heated surface for heating the catalyst structure and a cooling portion that cools gas above the catalyst structure. The system heats the catalyst structure so that the interaction between the precursor and the catalyst structure results in the formation of an array of carbon nanotubes on the catalyst structure, and cools the gas near the catalyst structure and alsomore » cools any carbon nanotubes that form on the catalyst structure to prevent or at least minimize the formation of amorphous carbon. Arrays thus formed may be used for spinning fibers of carbon nanotubes.« less

Anti-fouling response of gold-carbon nanotubes composite for enhanced ethanol electrooxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sai Siddhardha, R. S.; Anupam Kumar, Manne; Lakshminarayanan, V.; Ramamurthy, Sai Sathish

2014-12-01

We report the synthesis of gold carbon nanotubes composite through a one-pot surfactant free approach and its utility for ethanol electrooxidation reaction (EOR). The method involves the application of laser ablation for nanoparticle synthesis and simultaneous assembly of these on carbon nanotubes. The catalyst has been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques. A systematic study of gold carbon nanotubes modified carbon paste electrode for EOR has been pursued. The kinetic study revealed the excellent stability of the modified electrode even after 200 cycles of EOR and with an Arrhenius energy as low as ∼28 kJ mol-1. Tafel slopes that are the measure of electrode activity have been monitored as a function of temperature of the electrolyte. The results indicate that despite an increase in the reaction rate with temperature, the electrode surface has not been significantly passivated by carbonaceous species produced at high temperatures.

Method of fabricating electrode catalyst layers with directionally oriented carbon support for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

DOEpatents

Liu, Di-Jia [Naperville, IL; Yang, Junbing [Bolingbrook, IL

2012-03-20

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the invention comprises an anode and a cathode and a proton conductive membrane therebetween, the anode and the cathode each comprising a patterned sheet of longitudinally aligned transition metal-containing carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotubes are in contact with and are aligned generally perpendicular to the membrane, wherein a catalytically active transition metal is incorporated throughout the nanotubes.

FeP@C Nanotube Arrays Grown on Carbon Fabric as a Low Potential and Freestanding Anode for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Xu, Xijun; Liu, Jun; Liu, Zhengbo; Wang, Zhuosen; Hu, Renzong; Liu, Jiangwen; Ouyang, Liuzhang; Zhu, Min

2018-06-26

An anode of self-supported FeP@C nanotube arrays on carbon fabric (CF) is successfully fabricated via a facile template-based deposition and phosphorization route: first, well-aligned FeOOH nanotube arrays are simply obtained via a solution deposition and in situ etching route with hydrothermally crystallized (Co,Ni)(CO 3 ) 0.5 OH nanowire arrays as the template; subsequently, these uniform FeOOH nanotube arrays are transformed into robust carbon-coated Fe 3 O 4 (Fe 3 O 4 @C) nanotube arrays via glucose adsorption and annealing treatments; and finally FeP@C nanotube arrays on CF are achieved through the facile phosphorization of the oxide-based arrays. As an anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), these FeP@C nanotube arrays exhibit superior rate capability (reversible capacities of 945, 871, 815, 762, 717, and 657 mA h g -1 at 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.3, and 2.2 A g -1 , respectively, corresponding to area specific capacities of 1.73, 1.59, 1.49, 1.39, 1.31, 1.20 mA h cm -2 at 0.18, 0.37, 0.732, 1.46, 2.38, and 4.03 mA cm -2 , respectively) and a stable long-cycling performance (a high specific capacity of 718 mA h g -1 after 670 cycles at 0.5 A g -1 , corresponding to an area capacity of 1.31 mA h cm -2 at 0.92 mA cm -2 ). © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Highly deformation-tolerant carbon nanotube sponges as supercapacitor electrodes.

PubMed

Li, Peixu; Kong, Chuiyan; Shang, Yuanyuan; Shi, Enzheng; Yu, Yuntao; Qian, Weizhong; Wei, Fei; Wei, Jinquan; Wang, Kunlin; Zhu, Hongwei; Cao, Anyuan; Wu, Dehai

2013-09-21

Developing flexible and deformable supercapacitor electrodes based on porous materials is of high interest in energy related fields. Here, we show that carbon nanotube sponges, consisting of highly porous conductive networks, can serve as compressible and deformation-tolerant supercapacitor electrodes in aqueous or organic electrolytes. In aqueous electrolytes, the sponges maintain a similar specific capacitance (>90% of the original value) under a predefined compressive strain of 50% (corresponding to a volume reduction of 50%), and retain more than 70% of the original capacitance under 80% strain while the volume normalized capacitance increases by 3-fold. The sponge electrode maintains a stable performance after 1000 large strain compression cycles. A coin-shaped cell assembled with these sponges shows excellent stability over 15,000 charging cycles with negligible degradation after 500 cycles. Our results indicate that carbon nanotube sponges have the potential to fabricate deformable supercapacitor electrodes with stable performance.

Electrochemical synthesis of 1D core-shell Si/TiO2 nanotubes for lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalski, Damian; Mallet, Jeremy; Thomas, Shibin; Nemaga, Abirdu Woreka; Michel, Jean; Guery, Claude; Molinari, Michael; Morcrette, Mathieu

2017-09-01

Silicon negative electrode for lithium ion battery was designed in the form of self-organized 1D core-shell nanotubes to overcome shortcomings linked to silicon volume expansion upon lithiation/delithiation typically occurring with Si nanoparticles. The negative electrode was formed on TiO2 nanotubes in two step electrochemical synthesis by means of anodizing of titanium and electrodeposition of silicon using ionic liquid electrolytes. Remarkably, it was found that the silicon grows perpendicularly to the z-axis of nanotube and therefore its thickness can be precisely controlled by the charge passed in the electrochemical protocol. Deposited silicon creates a continuous Si network on TiO2 nanotubes without grain boundaries and particle-particle interfaces, defining its electrochemical characteristics under battery testing. In the core-shell system the titania nanotube play a role of volume expansion stabilizer framework holding the nanostructured silicon upon lithiation/delithiation. The nature of Si shell and presence of titania core determine stable performance as negative electrode tested in half cell of CR2032 coin cell battery.

CuO-induced signal amplification strategy for multiplexed photoelectrochemical immunosensing using CdS sensitized ZnO nanotubes arrays as photoactive material and AuPd alloy nanoparticles as electron sink.

PubMed

Sun, Guoqiang; Zhang, Yan; Kong, Qingkun; Zheng, Xiaoxiao; Yu, Jinghua; Song, Xianrang

2015-04-15

In this work, multiplexed photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassays are introduced into an indium tin oxide (ITO) device. Firstly, the ITO device is fabricated using a simple acid etch treatment method. Secondly, AuPd alloy nanoparticles are electro-deposited on ITO working electrodes as electron sink to construct the immunosensor platform. After that, ZnO nanotubes (ZNTs) arrays are synthesized via chemical etching of ZnO nanorods that are grown on AuPd surface by electrochemical deposition method. Subsequently, CdS is electro-deposited on ZNTs arrays and used as photoactive material. Then, CuO nanoseeds are labeled with signal antibodies and firstly used as PEC signal amplification label. The introduction of CuO brings signal amplification because of the conduction band (CB) of both CuO and ZnO are lower than that of CdS, CuO will compete the photo-induced electrons in CB of CdS with ZnO, leading to the decrease of the photocurrent intensity. Using cancer antigen 125, prostate specific antigen and α-fetoprotein as model analytes, the proposed immunoassay exhibits excellent precision and sensitivity. Meanwhile, this work provides a promising, addressable and simple strategy for the multi-detection of tumor markers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Covalent bonding of YIGSR and RGD to PEDOT/PSS/MWCNT-COOH composite material to improve the neural interface.

PubMed

Wang, Kun; Tang, Rong-Yu; Zhao, Xiao-Bo; Li, Jun-Jie; Lang, Yi-Ran; Jiang, Xiao-Xia; Sun, Hong-Ji; Lin, Qiu-Xia; Wang, Chang-Yong

2015-11-28

The development of coating materials for neural interfaces has been a pursued to improve the electrical, mechanical and biological performances. For these goals, a bioactive coating was developed in this work featuring a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite and covalently bonded YIGSR and RGD. Its biological effect and electrical characteristics were assessed in vivo on microwire arrays (MWA). The coated electrodes exhibited a significantly higher charge storage capacity (CSC) and lower electrochemical impedance at 1 kHz which are desired to improve the stimulating and recording performances, respectively. Acute neural recording experiments revealed that coated MWA possess a higher signal/noise ratio capturing spikes undetected by uncoated electrodes. Moreover, coated MWA possessed more active sites and single units, and the noise floor of coated electrodes was lower than that of uncoated electrodes. There is little information in the literature concerning the chronic performance of bioactively modified neural interfaces in vivo. Therefore in this work, chronic in vivo tests were conducted and the PEDOT/PSS/MWCNT-polypeptide coated arrays exhibited excellent performances with the highest mean maximal amplitude from day 4 to day 12 during which the acute response severely compromised the performance of the electrodes. In brief, we developed a simple method of covalently bonding YIGSR and RGD to a PEDOT/PSS/MWCNT-COOH composite improving both the biocompatibility and electrical performance of the neural interface. Our findings suggest that YIGSR and RGD modified PEDOT/PSS/MWCNT is a promising bioactivated composite coating for neural recording and stimulating.

Fast fabrication of long TiO2 nanotube array with high photoelectrochemical property on flexible stainless steel.

PubMed

Tao, Jie; Wu, Tao; Gao, Peng

2012-03-01

Oriented highly ordered long TiO2 nanotube array films with nanopore structure and high photoelectrochemical property were fabricated on flexible stainless steel substrate (50 microm) by anodization treatment of titanium thin films in a short time. The samples were characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoelectrochemical methods, respectively. The results showed that Ti films deposited at the condition of 0.7 Pa Ar pressure and 96 W sputtering power at room temperature was uniform and dense with good homogeneity and high crystallinity. The voltage and the anodization time both played significant roles in the formation of TiO2 nanopore-nanotube array film. The optimal voltage was 60 V and the anodization time is less than 30 min by anodizing Ti films in ethylene glycerol containing 0.5% (w) NH4F and 3% (w) H2O. The growth rate of TiO2 nanotube array was as high as 340 nm/min. Moreover, the photocurrent-potential curves, photocurrent response curves and electrochemical impedance spectra results indicated that the TiO2 nanotube array film with the nanoporous structure exhibited a better photo-response ability and photoelectrochemical performance than the ordinary TiO2 nanotube array film. The reason is that the nanoporous structure on the surface of the nanotube array can separate the photo electron-hole pairs more efficiently and completely than the tubular structure.

Intracellular recording of action potentials by nanopillar electroporation.

PubMed

Xie, Chong; Lin, Ziliang; Hanson, Lindsey; Cui, Yi; Cui, Bianxiao

2012-02-12

Action potentials have a central role in the nervous system and in many cellular processes, notably those involving ion channels. The accurate measurement of action potentials requires efficient coupling between the cell membrane and the measuring electrodes. Intracellular recording methods such as patch clamping involve measuring the voltage or current across the cell membrane by accessing the cell interior with an electrode, allowing both the amplitude and shape of the action potentials to be recorded faithfully with high signal-to-noise ratios. However, the invasive nature of intracellular methods usually limits the recording time to a few hours, and their complexity makes it difficult to simultaneously record more than a few cells. Extracellular recording methods, such as multielectrode arrays and multitransistor arrays, are non-invasive and allow long-term and multiplexed measurements. However, extracellular recording sacrifices the one-to-one correspondence between the cells and electrodes, and also suffers from significantly reduced signal strength and quality. Extracellular techniques are not, therefore, able to record action potentials with the accuracy needed to explore the properties of ion channels. As a result, the pharmacological screening of ion-channel drugs is usually performed by low-throughput intracellular recording methods. The use of nanowire transistors, nanotube-coupled transistors and micro gold-spine and related electrodes can significantly improve the signal strength of recorded action potentials. Here, we show that vertical nanopillar electrodes can record both the extracellular and intracellular action potentials of cultured cardiomyocytes over a long period of time with excellent signal strength and quality. Moreover, it is possible to repeatedly switch between extracellular and intracellular recording by nanoscale electroporation and resealing processes. Furthermore, vertical nanopillar electrodes can detect subtle changes in action potentials induced by drugs that target ion channels.

Intracellular recording of action potentials by nanopillar electroporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Chong; Lin, Ziliang; Hanson, Lindsey; Cui, Yi; Cui, Bianxiao

2012-03-01

Action potentials have a central role in the nervous system and in many cellular processes, notably those involving ion channels. The accurate measurement of action potentials requires efficient coupling between the cell membrane and the measuring electrodes. Intracellular recording methods such as patch clamping involve measuring the voltage or current across the cell membrane by accessing the cell interior with an electrode, allowing both the amplitude and shape of the action potentials to be recorded faithfully with high signal-to-noise ratios. However, the invasive nature of intracellular methods usually limits the recording time to a few hours, and their complexity makes it difficult to simultaneously record more than a few cells. Extracellular recording methods, such as multielectrode arrays and multitransistor arrays, are non-invasive and allow long-term and multiplexed measurements. However, extracellular recording sacrifices the one-to-one correspondence between the cells and electrodes, and also suffers from significantly reduced signal strength and quality. Extracellular techniques are not, therefore, able to record action potentials with the accuracy needed to explore the properties of ion channels. As a result, the pharmacological screening of ion-channel drugs is usually performed by low-throughput intracellular recording methods. The use of nanowire transistors, nanotube-coupled transistors and micro gold-spine and related electrodes can significantly improve the signal strength of recorded action potentials. Here, we show that vertical nanopillar electrodes can record both the extracellular and intracellular action potentials of cultured cardiomyocytes over a long period of time with excellent signal strength and quality. Moreover, it is possible to repeatedly switch between extracellular and intracellular recording by nanoscale electroporation and resealing processes. Furthermore, vertical nanopillar electrodes can detect subtle changes in action potentials induced by drugs that target ion channels.

Bioinspired leaves-on-branchlet hybrid carbon nanostructure for supercapacitors.

PubMed

Xiong, Guoping; He, Pingge; Lyu, Zhipeng; Chen, Tengfei; Huang, Boyun; Chen, Lei; Fisher, Timothy S

2018-02-23

Designing electrodes in a highly ordered structure simultaneously with appropriate orientation, outstanding mechanical robustness, and high electrical conductivity to achieve excellent electrochemical performance remains a daunting challenge. Inspired by the phenomenon in nature that leaves significantly increase exposed tree surface area to absorb carbon dioxide (like ions) from the environments (like electrolyte) for photosynthesis, we report a design of micro-conduits in a bioinspired leaves-on-branchlet structure consisting of carbon nanotube arrays serving as branchlets and graphene petals as leaves for such electrodes. The hierarchical all-carbon micro-conduit electrodes with hollow channels exhibit high areal capacitance of 2.35 F cm -2 (~500 F g -1 based on active material mass), high rate capability and outstanding cyclic stability (capacitance retention of ~95% over 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, Nernst-Planck-Poisson calculations elucidate the underlying mechanism of charge transfer and storage governed by sharp graphene petal edges, and thus provides insights into their outstanding electrochemical performance.

Perspectives on State-of-the-Art Carbon Nanotube/Polyaniline and Graphene/Polyaniline Composites for Hybrid Supercapacitor Electrodes.

PubMed

Srikanth, Vadali V S S; Ramana, Gedela Venkata; Kumar, Puttapati Sampath

2016-03-01

Supercapacitors are attractive alternative energy storage sources. They offer high energy/power density with other characteristics like fast discharge/charge time, long operation stability, safety etc. In a supercapacitor, working electrode material is the principal constituent. At present there are numerous electrode materials (with properties) suitable for their use in hybrid type supercapacitors. Carbon/polyaniline (PANi) composites are one class of such electrode materials. Here, perspectives on state-of-the-art carbon/PANi composites namely carbon nanotube/polyaniline and graphene/polyaniline composites expedient as hybrid type supercapacitor electrode materials will be presented.

Direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase and biosensing for glucose based on boron-doped carbon nanotubes modified electrode.

PubMed

Deng, Chunyan; Chen, Jinhua; Chen, Xiaoli; Xiao, Chunhui; Nie, Lihua; Yao, Shouzhuo

2008-03-14

Due to their unique physicochemical properties, doped carbon nanotubes are now extremely attractive and important nanomaterials in bioanalytical applications. In this work, selecting glucose oxidase (GOD) as a model enzyme, we investigated the direct electrochemistry of GOD based on the B-doped carbon nanotubes/glassy carbon (BCNTs/GC) electrode with cyclic voltammetry. A pair of well-defined, quasi-reversible redox peaks of the immobilized GOD was observed at the BCNTs based enzyme electrode in 0.1M phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.98) by direct electron transfer between the protein and the electrode. As a new platform in glucose analysis, the new glucose biosensor based on the BCNTs/GC electrode has a sensitivity of 111.57 microA mM(-1)cm(-2), a linear range from 0.05 to 0.3mM and a detection limit of 0.01mM (S/N=3). Furthermore, the BCNTs modified electrode exhibits good stability and excellent anti-interferent ability to the commonly co-existed uric acid and ascorbic acid. These indicate that boron-doped carbon nanotubes are the good candidate material for the direct electrochemistry of the redox-active enzyme and the construction of the related enzyme biosensors.

Self-Ordered Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Arrays: Anodic Synthesis and Their Photo/Electro-Catalytic Applications

PubMed Central

Smith, York R.; Ray, Rupashree S.; Carlson, Krista; Sarma, Biplab; Misra, Mano

2013-01-01

Metal oxide nanotubes have become a widely investigated material, more specifically, self-organized titania nanotube arrays synthesized by electrochemical anodization. As a highly investigated material with a wide gamut of applications, the majority of published literature focuses on the solar-based applications of this material. The scope of this review summarizes some of the recent advances made using metal oxide nanotube arrays formed via anodization in solar-based applications. A general methodology for theoretical modeling of titania surfaces in solar applications is also presented. PMID:28811415

Efficient generation and transportation of energetic electrons in a carbon nanotube array target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Yanling; Jiang, Gang; Wu, Weidong; Wang, Chaoyang; Gu, Yuqiu; Tang, Yongjian

2010-01-01

Laser-driven energetic electron propagation in a carbon nanotube-array target is investigated using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Energetic electrons are efficiently generated when the array is irradiated by a short intense laser pulse. Confined and guided transportation of energetic electrons in the array is achieved by exploiting strong transient electromagnetic fields created at the wall surfaces of nanotubes. The underlying mechanisms are discussed in detail. Our investigation shows that the laser energy can be transferred more effectively to the target electrons in the array than that of in the flat foil due to the hole structures in the array.

Nanoscale Electrochemistry of sp(2) Carbon Materials: From Graphite and Graphene to Carbon Nanotubes.

PubMed

Unwin, Patrick R; Güell, Aleix G; Zhang, Guohui

2016-09-20

Carbon materials have a long history of use as electrodes in electrochemistry, from (bio)electroanalysis to applications in energy technologies, such as batteries and fuel cells. With the advent of new forms of nanocarbon, particularly, carbon nanotubes and graphene, carbon electrode materials have taken on even greater significance for electrochemical studies, both in their own right and as components and supports in an array of functional composites. With the increasing prominence of carbon nanomaterials in electrochemistry comes a need to critically evaluate the experimental framework from which a microscopic understanding of electrochemical processes is best developed. This Account advocates the use of emerging electrochemical imaging techniques and confined electrochemical cell formats that have considerable potential to reveal major new perspectives on the intrinsic electrochemical activity of carbon materials, with unprecedented detail and spatial resolution. These techniques allow particular features on a surface to be targeted and models of structure-activity to be developed and tested on a wide range of length scales and time scales. When high resolution electrochemical imaging data are combined with information from other microscopy and spectroscopy techniques applied to the same area of an electrode surface, in a correlative-electrochemical microscopy approach, highly resolved and unambiguous pictures of electrode activity are revealed that provide new views of the electrochemical properties of carbon materials. With a focus on major sp(2) carbon materials, graphite, graphene, and single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), this Account summarizes recent advances that have changed understanding of interfacial electrochemistry at carbon electrodes including: (i) Unequivocal evidence for the high activity of the basal surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), which is at least as active as noble metal electrodes (e.g., platinum) for outer-sphere redox processes. (ii) Demonstration of the high activity of basal plane HOPG toward other reactions, with no requirement for catalysis by step edges or defects, as exemplified by studies of proton-coupled electron transfer, redox transformations of adsorbed molecules, surface functionalization via diazonium electrochemistry, and metal electrodeposition. (iii) Rationalization of the complex interplay of different factors that determine electrochemistry at graphene, including the source (mechanical exfoliation from graphite vs chemical vapor deposition), number of graphene layers, edges, electronic structure, redox couple, and electrode history effects. (iv) New methodologies that allow nanoscale electrochemistry of 1D materials (SWNTs) to be related to their electronic characteristics (metallic vs semiconductor SWNTs), size, and quality, with high resolution imaging revealing the high activity of SWNT sidewalls and the importance of defects for some electrocatalytic reactions (e.g., the oxygen reduction reaction). The experimental approaches highlighted for carbon electrodes are generally applicable to other electrode materials and set a new framework and course for the study of electrochemical and interfacial processes.

Strategically functionalized carbon nanotubes as the ultrasensitive electrochemical probe for picomolar detection of sildenafil citrate (Viagra).

PubMed

Gopalan, Anantha Iyengar; Lee, Kwang Pill; Komathi, Shanmugasundaram

2011-02-15

The present work demonstrates the utility of the functionalized carbon nanotubes, poly(4-aminobenzene sulfonic acid) (PABS) grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes, MWNT-g-PABS, as an electrode modifier towards achieving ultrasensitive detection of a model drug, sildenafil citrate (SC). PABS units in MWNT-g-PABS interact with SC, pre-concentrate and accumulate at the surface. The electron transduction from SC to electrode is augmented via MWNT-g-PABS. As a result, the MWNT-g-PABS modified electrode exhibited ultrasensitive (57.7 μA/nM) and selective detection of SC with a detection limit of 4.7 pM. The present work provides scope towards targeting ultrasensitivity for the detection of biomolecules/drug through rational design and incorporation of appropriate chemical components to carbon nanotubes. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical Impedance Imaging via the Distribution of Diffusion Times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Juhyun; Bazant, Martin Z.

2018-03-01

We develop a mathematical framework to analyze electrochemical impedance spectra in terms of a distribution of diffusion times (DDT) for a parallel array of random finite-length Warburg (diffusion) or Gerischer (reaction-diffusion) circuit elements. A robust DDT inversion method is presented based on complex nonlinear least squares regression with Tikhonov regularization and illustrated for three cases of nanostructured electrodes for energy conversion: (i) a carbon nanotube supercapacitor, (ii) a silicon nanowire Li-ion battery, and (iii) a porous-carbon vanadium flow battery. The results demonstrate the feasibility of nondestructive "impedance imaging" to infer microstructural statistics of random, heterogeneous materials.

Organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures for solar cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AbdulAlmohsin, Samir M.

The enticing electro-optical properties of nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, CdS nanocrystals and ZnO nanowrie bring new vigor into the innovation of photovoltaics. The main purpose of this dissertation is to develop novel nano-structured materials for low cost solar cell applications. Fabrication, characterization, and solar cell application of organic-inorganic hybrid structures are the main focus of this research. Polyaniline (PANI)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composite films were synthesized by an electrochemical polymerization of aniline with airbrushed MWNTs on ITO substrates. It was found that the incorporation of MWNTs in PANI effectively increase the film conductivity with a percolation threshold of 5% of nanotubes in the composite. The solar cell performance strongly depends on the conductivity of the composite films, which can be tuned by adjusting nanotube concentration. A higher conductivity resulted in a better cell performance, resulting from an efficient charge collection. This study indicates that PANI/MWNT composite films with optimized conductivity are potentially useful for low-cost hybrid solar cell applications. CdS nanocrystal-sensitized solar cells (NCSSCs) were investigated by using polyaniline (PANI) as a replacement for conventional platinum counter electrode. The growth time of the nanocrystals significantly affects the solar cell performance. At an optimum growth, the NCSSCs exhibit 0.83% of the conversion efficiency in comparison to 0.13% for the identical cells without CdS nanocrystals. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the charge transfer in the solar cells with CdS nanocrystals was improved. The enhanced overall energy conversion efficiency by nanocrystals is attributed to improved light absorption and suppressed recombination rate of interfacial charges at the injection, resulting in significantly improved charge transfer and electron lifetime. In addition, the PANI electrodes with large surface area and ideal corrosion-inertness toward polysulfide redox exhibit promising application potential as a counter electrode for NCSSCs. This study demonstrates that the solution grown CdS nanocrystals and polyaniline are potentially useful for fabricating high performance NCSSCs, which is technically attractive for large scale and economic production. A hybrid structure containing graphene-enriched poly (3-hexylthiophene) (G-P3HT) or poly (3-hexylthiophene):(6, 6)-phenyl C60 butyric acid methyl esterand tetra (4-carboxyphenyle) porphyrin-grafted ZnO nanowire arrays was investigated for nanowire/polymer hybrid solar cells. The vertically aligned nanowires embedded in the organic films act as an active n-type semiconductor and a high-efficiency charge collection electrode. The grafting surface of ZnO nanowires by porphyrin was found to significantly improve the cell efficiency as compared with those using pristine ZnO nanowires. The improvement is attributed to the enhanced light harvesting and charge injection with the presence of porphyrin at the junction interface. A comparison study showed that the use of G-P3HT further increase the efficiency of the nanowire solar cells from 0.09 to 0.4%, benefiting from the improved hole collection with graphene in the polymer. This study indicates that hybrid structure comprising surface modified, vertically aligned ZnO nanowire arrays embedded in G-P3HT is promising for solar cell applications. A combination of bulk heterojunction of P3HT: PCBM with ZnO nanorod arrays was also studied for solar cell applications. In the P3HT: PCBM devices, electron donors such as poly (3-hexythiophene) (P3HT) and acceptors as (6, 6)-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are blended to form one mixed layer (a bulk heterojunction). The charge separation of photo-induced excitons is greatly enhanced by ultra-fast electron transfer and large interface between the two components. However, the charge collection is one of the main limitations for improving cell efficiency. In this study, ZnO nanowire arrys have been used to facilitate efficient charge collection electrodes for improving the energy conversion efficiency.

Controlling Morphological Parameters of Anodized Titania Nanotubes for Optimized Solar Energy Applications

PubMed Central

Haring, Andrew; Morris, Amanda; Hu, Michael

2012-01-01

Anodized TiO2 nanotubes have received much attention for their use in solar energy applications including water oxidation cells and hybrid solar cells [dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and bulk heterojuntion solar cells (BHJs)]. High surface area allows for increased dye-adsorption and photon absorption. Titania nanotubes grown by anodization of titanium in fluoride-containing electrolytes are aligned perpendicular to the substrate surface, reducing the electron diffusion path to the external circuit in solar cells. The nanotube morphology can be optimized for the various applications by adjusting the anodization parameters but the optimum crystallinity of the nanotube arrays remains to be realized. In addition to morphology and crystallinity, the method of device fabrication significantly affects photon and electron dynamics and its energy conversion efficiency. This paper provides the state-of-the-art knowledge to achieve experimental tailoring of morphological parameters including nanotube diameter, length, wall thickness, array surface smoothness, and annealing of nanotube arrays.

Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

wpafb.af.mil (M.F. Durstock). [11] nanowires, and iron oxide/copper [12] and tin/copper [13] nanorods. Carbon nanotubes ( CNTs ) have also been examined as...negative electrodes [14–17]. Although CNTs and other nega- tive electrode nanomaterials have been shown to exhibit similar or greater capacities...rate capability [18]. Studies suggest that aligned CNTs could allow for better contact with the current collector and increased ion diffu- sivity to

Energy Guiding and Harvesting through Phonon-Engineered Graphene

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-28

improve the performance of carbon nanotube array transistors. Such transistors suffer about two orders of magnitude performance penalty due to high... nanotube - nanotube resistances in the current pathways from source to drain. Thus, under normal operation CNT array 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE...Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 Carbon Nanotubes , FETs, Nanosoldering REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 11. SPONSOR

Carbon Nanotube-based Sensor and Method for Continually Sensing Changes in a Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Jeffry D. (Inventor); Watkins, Anthony Neal (Inventor); Oglesby, Donald M. (Inventor); Ingram, JoAnne L. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A sensor has a plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based conductors operatively positioned on a substrate. The conductors are arranged side-by-side, such as in a substantially parallel relationship to one another. At least one pair of spaced-apart electrodes is coupled to opposing ends of the conductors. A portion of each of the conductors spanning between each pair of electrodes comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged end-to-end and substantially aligned along an axis. Because a direct correlation exists between resistance of a carbon nanotube and carbon nanotube strain, changes experienced by the portion of the structure to which the sensor is coupled induce a change in electrical properties of the conductors.

Controlled Deposition and Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smits, Jan M. (Inventor); Wincheski, Russell A. (Inventor); Ingram, JoAnne L. (Inventor); Watkins, Anthony Neal (Inventor); Jordan, Jeffrey D. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A carbon nanotube (CNT) attraction material is deposited on a substrate in the gap region between two electrodes on the . substrate. An electric potential is applied to the two electrodes. The CNT attraction material is wetted with a solution defined by a carver liquid having carbon nanotubes (CNTs) suspended therein. A portion of the CNTs align with the electric field and adhere to The CNT attraction material. The carrier liquid and any CNTs not adhered to the CNT attraction material are then removed.

Controlled Deposition and Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patry, JoAnne L. (Inventor); Smits, Jan M. (Inventor); Watkins, Anthony Neal (Inventor); Jordan, Jeffrey D. (Inventor); Wincheski, Russell A. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A carbon nanotube (CNT) attraction material is deposited on a substrate in the gap region between two electrodes on the substrate. An electric potential is applied to the two electrodes. The CNT attraction material is wetted with a solution defined by a carrier liquid having carbon nanotubes (CNTs) suspended therein. A portion of the CNTs align with the electric field and adhere to the CNT attraction material. The carrier liquid and any CNTs not adhered to the CNT attraction material are then removed.

Fabrication of thin film TiO2 nanotube arrays on Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy by anodization.

PubMed

Ni, Jiahua; Frandsen, Christine J; Noh, Kunbae; Johnston, Gary W; He, Guo; Tang, Tingting; Jin, Sungho

2013-04-01

Titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotube arrays were prepared by anodization of Ti/Au/Ti trilayer thin film DC sputtered onto forged and cast Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy substrate at 400 °C. Two different types of deposited film structures (Ti/Au/Ti trilayer and Ti monolayer), and two deposition temperatures (room temperature and 400 °C) were compared in this work. The concentrations of ammonium fluoride (NH4F) and H2O in glycerol electrolyte were varied to study their effect on the formation of TiO2 nanotube arrays on a forged and cast Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy. The results show that Ti/Au/Ti trilayer thin film and elevated temperature sputtered films are favorable for the formation of well-ordered nanotube arrays. The optimized electrolyte concentration for the growth of TiO2 nanotube arrays on forged and cast Co-28Cr-6Mo alloy was obtained. This work contains meaningful results for the application of a TiO2 nanotube coating to a CoCr alloy implant for potential next-generation orthopedic implant surface coatings with improved osseointegrative capabilities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrospun carbon nanofibers surface-grafted with vapor-grown carbon nanotubes as hierarchical electrodes for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhengping; Wu, Xiang-Fa; Fong, Hao

2012-01-01

This letter reports the fabrication and electrochemical properties of electrospun carbon nanofibers surface-grafted with vapor-grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as hierarchical electrodes for supercapacitors. The specific capacitance of the fabricated electrodes was measured up to 185 F/g at the low discharge current density of 625 mA/g; a decrease of 38% was detected at the high discharge current density of 2.5 A/g. The morphology and microstructure of the electrodes were examined by electron microscopy, and the unique connectivity of the hybrid nanomaterials was responsible for the high specific capacitance and low intrinsic contact electric resistance of the hierarchical electrodes.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube probes for monitoring blood cholesterol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Somenath; Vedala, Harindra; Choi, Wonbong

2006-02-01

Detection of blood cholesterol is of great clinical significance. The amperometric detection technique was used for the enzymatic assay of total cholesterol. Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), vertically aligned on a silicon platform, promote heterogeneous electron transfer between the enzyme and the working electrode. Surface modification of the MWNT with a biocompatible polymer, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), converted the hydrophobic nanotube surface into a highly hydrophilic one, which facilitates efficient attachment of biomolecules. The fabricated working electrodes showed a linear relationship between cholesterol concentration and the output signal. The efficacy of the multiwall carbon nanotubes in promoting heterogeneous electron transfer was evident by distinct electrochemical peaks and higher signal-to-noise ratio as compared to the Au electrode with identical enzyme immobilization protocol. The selectivity of the cholesterol sensor in the presence of common interferents present in human blood, e.g. uric acid, ascorbic acid and glucose, is also reported.

Block Copolymers as Templates for Arrays of Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bronikowski, Michael; Hunt, Brian

2003-01-01

A method of manufacturing regular arrays of precisely sized, shaped, positioned, and oriented carbon nanotubes has been proposed. Arrays of carbon nanotubes could prove useful in such diverse applications as communications (especially for filtering of signals), biotechnology (for sequencing of DNA and separation of chemicals), and micro- and nanoelectronics (as field emitters and as signal transducers and processors). The method is expected to be suitable for implementation in standard semiconductor-device fabrication facilities.

Transport comparison of multiwall carbon nanotubes by contacting outer shell and all shells.

PubMed

Luo, Qiang; Cui, A-Juan; Zhang, Yi-Guang; Lu, Chao; Jin, Ai-Zi; Yang, Hai-Fang; Gu, Chang-Zhi

2010-11-01

Carbon nanotubes, particularly multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can serve as interconnects in nanoelectronic devices and integrated circuits because of their extremely large current-carrying capacity. Many experimental results about the transport properties of individual MWCNTs by contacting outer shell or all shells have been reported. In this work, a compatible method with integrated circuit manufacturing process was presented to compare the transport property of an individual multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by contacting outer shell only and all shells successively. First of the Ti/Au electrodes contacting outer shell only were fabricated onto the nanotube through the sequence of electron beam lithography (EBL) patterning, metal deposition and lift-off process. After the characterization of its transport property, focused ion beam (FIB) was used to drill holes through the same nanotube at the as-deposited electrodes. Then new contact to the holes and electrodes were made by ion-induced deposition of tungsten from W(CO)6 precursor gas. The transport results indicated that the new contact to all shells can clear up the intershell resistance and the electrical conductance of the tube can be improved about 8 times compared to that of by contacting outer shell only.

Bend, stretch, and touch: Locating a finger on an actively deformed transparent sensor array

PubMed Central

Sarwar, Mirza Saquib; Dobashi, Yuta; Preston, Claire; Wyss, Justin K. M.; Mirabbasi, Shahriar; Madden, John David Wyndham

2017-01-01

The development of bendable, stretchable, and transparent touch sensors is an emerging technological goal in a variety of fields, including electronic skin, wearables, and flexible handheld devices. Although transparent tactile sensors based on metal mesh, carbon nanotubes, and silver nanowires demonstrate operation in bent configurations, we present a technology that extends the operation modes to the sensing of finger proximity including light touch during active bending and even stretching. This is accomplished using stretchable and ionically conductive hydrogel electrodes, which project electric field above the sensor to couple with and sense a finger. The polyacrylamide electrodes are embedded in silicone. These two widely available, low-cost, transparent materials are combined in a three-step manufacturing technique that is amenable to large-area fabrication. The approach is demonstrated using a proof-of-concept 4 × 4 cross-grid sensor array with a 5-mm pitch. The approach of a finger hovering a few centimeters above the array is readily detectable. Light touch produces a localized decrease in capacitance of 15%. The movement of a finger can be followed across the array, and the location of multiple fingers can be detected. Touch is detectable during bending and stretch, an important feature of any wearable device. The capacitive sensor design can be made more or less sensitive to bending by shifting it relative to the neutral axis. Ultimately, the approach is adaptable to the detection of proximity, touch, pressure, and even the conformation of the sensor surface. PMID:28345045

Bend, stretch, and touch: Locating a finger on an actively deformed transparent sensor array.

PubMed

Sarwar, Mirza Saquib; Dobashi, Yuta; Preston, Claire; Wyss, Justin K M; Mirabbasi, Shahriar; Madden, John David Wyndham

2017-03-01

The development of bendable, stretchable, and transparent touch sensors is an emerging technological goal in a variety of fields, including electronic skin, wearables, and flexible handheld devices. Although transparent tactile sensors based on metal mesh, carbon nanotubes, and silver nanowires demonstrate operation in bent configurations, we present a technology that extends the operation modes to the sensing of finger proximity including light touch during active bending and even stretching. This is accomplished using stretchable and ionically conductive hydrogel electrodes, which project electric field above the sensor to couple with and sense a finger. The polyacrylamide electrodes are embedded in silicone. These two widely available, low-cost, transparent materials are combined in a three-step manufacturing technique that is amenable to large-area fabrication. The approach is demonstrated using a proof-of-concept 4 × 4 cross-grid sensor array with a 5-mm pitch. The approach of a finger hovering a few centimeters above the array is readily detectable. Light touch produces a localized decrease in capacitance of 15%. The movement of a finger can be followed across the array, and the location of multiple fingers can be detected. Touch is detectable during bending and stretch, an important feature of any wearable device. The capacitive sensor design can be made more or less sensitive to bending by shifting it relative to the neutral axis. Ultimately, the approach is adaptable to the detection of proximity, touch, pressure, and even the conformation of the sensor surface.

Preparation of arrays of long carbon nanotubes using catalyst structure

DOEpatents

Zhu, Yuntian T.; Arendt, Paul; Li, Qingwen; Zhang, Xiefie

2016-03-22

A structure for preparing an substantially aligned array of carbon nanotubes include a substrate having a first side and a second side, a buffer layer on the first side of the substrate, a catalyst on the buffer layer, and a plurality of channels through the structure for allowing a gaseous carbon source to enter the substrate at the second side and flow through the structure to the catalyst. After preparing the array, a fiber of carbon nanotubes may be spun from the array. Prior to spinning, the array can be immersed in a polymer solution. After spinning, the polymer can be cured.

Biaxially stretchable supercapacitors based on the buckled hybrid fiber electrode array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Nan; Zhou, Weiya; Zhang, Qiang; Luan, Pingshan; Cai, Le; Yang, Feng; Zhang, Xiao; Fan, Qingxia; Zhou, Wenbin; Xiao, Zhuojian; Gu, Xiaogang; Chen, Huiliang; Li, Kewei; Xiao, Shiqi; Wang, Yanchun; Liu, Huaping; Xie, Sishen

2015-07-01

In order to meet the growing need for smart bionic devices and epidermal electronic systems, biaxial stretchability is essential for energy storage units. Based on porous single-walled carbon nanotube/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (SWCNT/PEDOT) hybrid fiber, we designed and fabricated a biaxially stretchable supercapacitor, which possesses a unique configuration of the parallel buckled hybrid fiber array. Owing to the reticulate SWCNT film and the improved fabrication technique, the hybrid fiber retained its porous architecture both outwardly and inwardly, manifesting a superior capacity of 215 F g-1. H3PO4-polyvinyl alcohol gel with an optimized component ratio was introduced as both binder and stretchable electrolyte, which contributed to the regularity and stability of the buckled fiber array. The buckled structure and the quasi one-dimensional character of the fibers endow the supercapacitor with 100% stretchability along all directions. In addition, the supercapacitor exhibited good transparency, as well as excellent electrochemical properties and stability after being stretched 5000 times.In order to meet the growing need for smart bionic devices and epidermal electronic systems, biaxial stretchability is essential for energy storage units. Based on porous single-walled carbon nanotube/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (SWCNT/PEDOT) hybrid fiber, we designed and fabricated a biaxially stretchable supercapacitor, which possesses a unique configuration of the parallel buckled hybrid fiber array. Owing to the reticulate SWCNT film and the improved fabrication technique, the hybrid fiber retained its porous architecture both outwardly and inwardly, manifesting a superior capacity of 215 F g-1. H3PO4-polyvinyl alcohol gel with an optimized component ratio was introduced as both binder and stretchable electrolyte, which contributed to the regularity and stability of the buckled fiber array. The buckled structure and the quasi one-dimensional character of the fibers endow the supercapacitor with 100% stretchability along all directions. In addition, the supercapacitor exhibited good transparency, as well as excellent electrochemical properties and stability after being stretched 5000 times. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: SEM images of the twist-first hybrid fiber, TEM images of SWCNT/PEDOT hybrid bundles, Raman spectra and FTIR spectra of the hybrid electrodes, CVs of the pristine, bended and wound supercapacitor, transmittance spectra of the pristine and stretched supercapacitor, demo video of the supercapacitor. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03027g

Hydrogenated TiO2 nanotube arrays for supercapacitors.

PubMed

Lu, Xihong; Wang, Gongming; Zhai, Teng; Yu, Minghao; Gan, Jiayong; Tong, Yexiang; Li, Yat

2012-03-14

We report a new and general strategy for improving the capacitive properties of TiO(2) materials for supercapacitors, involving the synthesis of hydrogenated TiO(2) nanotube arrays (NTAs). The hydrogenated TiO(2) (denoted as H-TiO(2)) were obtained by calcination of anodized TiO(2) NTAs in hydrogen atmosphere in a range of temperatures between 300 to 600 °C. The H-TiO(2) NTAs prepared at 400 °C yields the largest specific capacitance of 3.24 mF cm(-2) at a scan rate of 100 mV s(-1), which is 40 times higher than the capacitance obtained from air-annealed TiO(2) NTAs at the same conditions. Importantly, H-TiO(2) NTAs also show remarkable rate capability with 68% areal capacitance retained when the scan rate increase from 10 to 1000 mV s(-1), as well as outstanding long-term cycling stability with only 3.1% reduction of initial specific capacitance after 10,000 cycles. The prominent electrochemical capacitive properties of H-TiO(2) are attributed to the enhanced carrier density and increased density of hydroxyl group on TiO(2) surface, as a result of hydrogenation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that H-TiO(2) NTAs is a good scaffold to support MnO(2) nanoparticles. The capacitor electrodes made by electrochemical deposition of MnO(2) nanoparticles on H-TiO(2) NTAs achieve a remarkable specific capacitance of 912 F g(-1) at a scan rate of 10 mV s(-1) (based on the mass of MnO(2)). The ability to improve the capacitive properties of TiO(2) electrode materials should open up new opportunities for high-performance supercapacitors. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Amperometric L-lysine enzyme electrodes based on carbon nanotube/redox polymer and graphene/carbon nanotube/redox polymer composites.

PubMed

Kaçar, Ceren; Erden, Pınar Esra; Kılıç, Esma

2017-04-01

Highly sensitive L-lysine enzyme electrodes were constructed by using poly(vinylferrocene)-multiwalled carbon nanotubes-gelatine (PVF/MWCNTs-GEL) and poly(vinylferrocene)-multiwalled carbon nanotubes-gelatine-graphene (PVF/MWCNTs-GEL/GR) composites as sensing interfaces and their performances were evaluated. Lysine oxidase (LO) was immobilized onto the composite modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) by crosslinking using glutaraldehyde and bovine serum albumin. Effects of pH value, enzyme loading, applied potential, electrode composition, and interfering substances on the amperometric response of the enzyme electrodes were discussed. The analytical characteristics of the enzyme electrodes were also investigated. The linear range, detection limit, and sensitivity of the LO/PVF/MWCNTs-GEL/GCE were 9.9 × 10 -7 -7.0 × 10 -4  M, 1.8 × 10 -7  M (S/N = 3), and 13.51 μA mM -1  cm -2 , respectively. PVF/MWCNTs-GEL/GR-based L-lysine enzyme electrode showed a short response time (<5 s) and a linear detection range from 9.9 × 10 -7 to 7.0 × 10 -4  M with good sensitivity of 17.8 μA mM -1  cm -2 and a low detection limit of 9.2 × 10 -8  M. The PVF/MWCNTs-GEL/GR composite-based L-lysine enzyme electrode exhibited about 1.3-fold higher sensitivity than its MWCNTs-based counterpart and its detection limit was superior to the MWCNTs-based one. In addition, enzyme electrodes were successfully applied to determine L-lysine in pharmaceutical sample and cheese.

Solid-contact pH-selective electrode using multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Crespo, Gastón A; Gugsa, Derese; Macho, Santiago; Rius, F Xavier

2009-12-01

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are shown to be efficient transducers of the ionic-to-electronic current. This enables the development of a new solid-contact pH-selective electrode that is based on the deposition of a 35-microm thick layer of MWCNT between the acrylic ion-selective membrane and the glassy carbon rod used as the electrical conductor. The ion-selective membrane was prepared by incorporating tridodecylamine as the ionophore, potassium tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate as the lipophilic additive in a polymerized methylmethacrylate and an n-butyl acrylate matrix. The potentiometric response shows Nernstian behaviour and a linear dynamic range between 2.89 and 9.90 pH values. The response time for this electrode was less than 10 s throughout the whole working range. The electrode shows a high selectivity towards interfering ions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronopotentiometry techniques were used to characterise the electrochemical behaviour and the stability of the carbon-nanotube-based ion-selective electrodes.

Coatings of Different Carbon Nanotubes on Platinum Electrodes for Neuronal Devices: Preparation, Cytocompatibility and Interaction with Spiral Ganglion Cells.

PubMed

Burblies, Niklas; Schulze, Jennifer; Schwarz, Hans-Christoph; Kranz, Katharina; Motz, Damian; Vogt, Carla; Lenarz, Thomas; Warnecke, Athanasia; Behrens, Peter

2016-01-01

Cochlear and deep brain implants are prominent examples for neuronal prostheses with clinical relevance. Current research focuses on the improvement of the long-term functionality and the size reduction of neural interface electrodes. A promising approach is the application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), either as pure electrodes but especially as coating material for electrodes. The interaction of CNTs with neuronal cells has shown promising results in various studies, but these appear to depend on the specific type of neurons as well as on the kind of nanotubes. To evaluate a potential application of carbon nanotube coatings for cochlear electrodes, it is necessary to investigate the cytocompatibility of carbon nanotube coatings on platinum for the specific type of neuron in the inner ear, namely spiral ganglion neurons. In this study we have combined the chemical processing of as-delivered CNTs, the fabrication of coatings on platinum, and the characterization of the electrical properties of the coatings as well as a general cytocompatibility testing and the first cell culture investigations of CNTs with spiral ganglion neurons. By applying a modification process to three different as-received CNTs via a reflux treatment with nitric acid, long-term stable aqueous CNT dispersions free of dispersing agents were obtained. These were used to coat platinum substrates by an automated spray-coating process. These coatings enhance the electrical properties of platinum electrodes, decreasing the impedance values and raising the capacitances. Cell culture investigations of the different CNT coatings on platinum with NIH3T3 fibroblasts attest an overall good cytocompatibility of these coatings. For spiral ganglion neurons, this can also be observed but a desired positive effect of the CNTs on the neurons is absent. Furthermore, we found that the well-established DAPI staining assay does not function on the coatings prepared from single-wall nanotubes.

Coatings of Different Carbon Nanotubes on Platinum Electrodes for Neuronal Devices: Preparation, Cytocompatibility and Interaction with Spiral Ganglion Cells

PubMed Central

Schwarz, Hans-Christoph; Kranz, Katharina; Motz, Damian; Vogt, Carla; Lenarz, Thomas; Warnecke, Athanasia; Behrens, Peter

2016-01-01

Cochlear and deep brain implants are prominent examples for neuronal prostheses with clinical relevance. Current research focuses on the improvement of the long-term functionality and the size reduction of neural interface electrodes. A promising approach is the application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), either as pure electrodes but especially as coating material for electrodes. The interaction of CNTs with neuronal cells has shown promising results in various studies, but these appear to depend on the specific type of neurons as well as on the kind of nanotubes. To evaluate a potential application of carbon nanotube coatings for cochlear electrodes, it is necessary to investigate the cytocompatibility of carbon nanotube coatings on platinum for the specific type of neuron in the inner ear, namely spiral ganglion neurons. In this study we have combined the chemical processing of as-delivered CNTs, the fabrication of coatings on platinum, and the characterization of the electrical properties of the coatings as well as a general cytocompatibility testing and the first cell culture investigations of CNTs with spiral ganglion neurons. By applying a modification process to three different as-received CNTs via a reflux treatment with nitric acid, long-term stable aqueous CNT dispersions free of dispersing agents were obtained. These were used to coat platinum substrates by an automated spray-coating process. These coatings enhance the electrical properties of platinum electrodes, decreasing the impedance values and raising the capacitances. Cell culture investigations of the different CNT coatings on platinum with NIH3T3 fibroblasts attest an overall good cytocompatibility of these coatings. For spiral ganglion neurons, this can also be observed but a desired positive effect of the CNTs on the neurons is absent. Furthermore, we found that the well-established DAPI staining assay does not function on the coatings prepared from single-wall nanotubes. PMID:27385031

Directly Grown Nanostructured Electrodes for High Volumetric Energy Density Binder-Free Hybrid Supercapacitors: A Case Study of CNTs//Li4Ti5O12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, Wenhua; Wang, Chong; Li, Yuanyuan; Liu, Jinping

2015-01-01

Hybrid supercapacitor (HSC), which typically consists of a Li-ion battery electrode and an electric double-layer supercapacitor electrode, has been extensively investigated for large-scale applications such as hybrid electric vehicles, etc. Its application potential for thin-film downsized energy storage systems that always prefer high volumetric energy/power densities, however, has not yet been explored. Herein, as a case study, we develop an entirely binder-free HSC by using multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) network film as the cathode and Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) nanowire array as the anode and study the volumetric energy storage capability. Both the electrode materials are grown directly on carbon cloth current collector, ensuring robust mechanical/electrical contacts and flexibility. Our 3 V HSC device exhibits maximum volumetric energy density of ~4.38 mWh cm-3, much superior to those of previous supercapacitors based on thin-film electrodes fabricated directly on carbon cloth and even comparable to the commercial thin-film lithium battery. It also has volumetric power densities comparable to that of the commercial 5.5 V/100 mF supercapacitor (can be operated within 3 s) and has excellent cycling stability (~92% retention after 3000 cycles). The concept of utilizing binder-free electrodes to construct HSC for thin-film energy storage may be readily extended to other HSC electrode systems.

Ag Nanoparticle-Functionalized Open-Ended Freestanding TiO₂ Nanotube Arrays with a Scattering Layer for Improved Energy Conversion Efficiency in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

PubMed

Rho, Won-Yeop; Chun, Myeung-Hwan; Kim, Ho-Sub; Kim, Hyung-Mo; Suh, Jung Sang; Jun, Bong-Hyun

2016-06-15

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using open-ended freestanding TiO₂ nanotube arrays functionalized with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in the channel to create a plasmonic effect, and then coated with large TiO₂ NPs to create a scattering effect in order to improve energy conversion efficiency. Compared to closed-ended freestanding TiO₂ nanotube array-based DSSCs without Ag or large TiO₂ NPs, the energy conversion efficiency of closed-ended DSSCs improved by 9.21% (actual efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.40%) with Ag NPs, 6.48% (actual efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.24%) with TiO₂ NPs, and 14.50% (actual efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.71%) with both Ag NPs and TiO₂ NPs. By introducing Ag NPs and/or large TiO₂ NPs to open-ended freestanding TiO₂ nanotube array-based DSSCs, the energy conversion efficiency was improved by 9.15% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 6.68%) with Ag NPs and 8.17% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 6.62%) with TiO₂ NPs, and by 15.20% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 7.05%) with both Ag NPs and TiO₂ NPs. Moreover, compared to closed-ended freestanding TiO₂ nanotube arrays, the energy conversion efficiency of open-ended freestanding TiO₂ nanotube arrays increased from 6.71% to 7.05%. We demonstrate that each component-Ag NPs, TiO₂ NPs, and open-ended freestanding TiO₂ nanotube arrays-enhanced the energy conversion efficiency, and the use of a combination of all components in DSSCs resulted in the highest energy conversion efficiency.

NASA Tech Briefs, March 2008

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Topics covered include: WRATS Integrated Data Acquisition System; Breadboard Signal Processor for Arraying DSN Antennas; Digital Receiver Phase Meter; Split-Block Waveguide Polarization Twist for 220 to 325 GHz; Nano-Multiplication-Region Avalanche Photodiodes and Arrays; Tailored Asymmetry for Enhanced Coupling to WGM Resonators; Disabling CNT Electronic Devices by Use of Electron Beams; Conical Bearingless Motor/Generators; Integrated Force Method for Indeterminate Structures; Carbon-Nanotube-Based Electrodes for Biomedical Applications; Compact Directional Microwave Antenna for Localized Heating; Using Hyperspectral Imagery to Identify Turfgrass Stresses; Shaping Diffraction-Grating Grooves to Optimize Efficiency; Low-Light-Shift Cesium Fountain without Mechanical Shutters; Magnetic Compensation for Second-Order Doppler Shift in LITS; Nanostructures Exploit Hybrid-Polariton Resonances; Microfluidics, Chromatography, and Atomic-Force Microscopy; Model of Image Artifacts from Dust Particles; Pattern-Recognition System for Approaching a Known Target; Orchestrator Telemetry Processing Pipeline; Scheme for Quantum Computing Immune to Decoherence; Spin-Stabilized Microsatellites with Solar Concentrators; Phase Calibration of Antenna Arrays Aimed at Spacecraft; Ring Bus Architecture for a Solid-State Recorder; and Image Compression Algorithm Altered to Improve Stereo Ranging.

Morphology modulation of SrTiO3/TiO2 heterostructures for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance.

PubMed

Jiao, Zhengbo; Chen, Tao; Yu, Hongchao; Wang, Teng; Lu, Gongxuan; Bi, Yingpu

2014-04-01

Design and fabrication of nanoscale semiconductors with regulatable morphology or structure has attracted tremendous interest due to the dependency relationship between properties and architectures. Two types of SrTiO3/TiO2 nanocomposites with different morphologies and structures have been fabricated by controlling the kinetics of hydrothermal reactions. One is TiO2 nanotube arrays densely wrapped by SrTiO3 film and the other is SrTiO3 nanospheres distributed on the top region of TiO2 nanotube arrays, which has been firstly fabricated. It has been found that the photoelectrochemical performances of these heterostructures are crucially dominated by their architectures. Heterostructured SrTiO3/TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated by traditional method in the absence of NaOH and they exhibited higher photoelectrochemical performance than pure TiO2 nanotube arrays. However, the compact SrTiO3 coating film on the sidewalls of TiO2 nanotube arrays could inevitably destroy the tubular structures of TiO2 and thus go against the vectorial transport of electrons. Interestingly, when excess NaOH was added into the growth solution, SrTiO3 nanospheres would be rationally grafted on the top of TiO2 nanotube arrays, which could preserve the tubular structures of TiO2, and thus further improve the photoelectrochemical performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrophoretically deposited graphene oxide and carbon nanotube composite for electrochemical capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajayi, Obafunso A.; Guitierrez, Daniel H.; Peaslee, David; Cheng, Arthur; Gao, Theodore; Wong, Chee Wei; Chen, Bin

2015-10-01

We report a scalable one-step electrode fabrication approach for synthesizing composite carbon-based supercapacitors with synergistic outcomes. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully integrated into our modified electrophoretic deposition process to directly form composite MWCNT-GO electrochemical capacitor electrodes (where GO is graphene oxide) with superior performance to solely GO electrodes. The measured capacitance improved threefold, reaching a maximum specific capacitance of 231 F g-1. Upon thermal reduction, MWCNT-GO electrode sheet resistance decreased by a factor of 8, significantly greater than the 2× decrease of those without MWCNTs.

Flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors based on free-standing carbon nanotube/graphene and Mn3O4 nanoparticle/graphene paper electrodes.

PubMed

Gao, Hongcai; Xiao, Fei; Ching, Chi Bun; Duan, Hongwei

2012-12-01

We report the design of all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors based on free-standing carbon nanotube/graphene (CNTG) and Mn(3)O(4) nanoparticles/graphene (MG) paper electrodes with a polymer gel electrolyte of potassium polyacrylate/KCl. The composite paper electrodes with carbon nanotubes or Mn(3)O(4) nanoparticles uniformly intercalated between the graphene nanosheets exhibited excellent mechanical stability, greatly improved active surface areas, and enhanced ion transportation, in comparison with the pristine graphene paper. The combination of the two paper electrodes with the polymer gel electrolyte endowed our asymmetric supercapacitor of CNTG//MG an increased cell voltage of 1.8 V, a stable cycling performance (capacitance retention of 86.0% after 10,000 continuous charge/discharge cycles), more than 2-fold increase of energy density (32.7 Wh/kg) compared with the symmetric supercapacitors, and importantly a distinguished mechanical flexibility.

Reduced Graphene Oxide/Carbon Nanotube Composites as Electrochemical Energy Storage Electrode Applications.

PubMed

Yang, Wenyao; Chen, Yan; Wang, Jingfeng; Peng, Tianjun; Xu, Jianhua; Yang, Bangchao; Tang, Ke

2018-06-15

We demonstrate an electrochemical reduction method to reduce graphene oxide (GO) to electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) with the assistance of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The faster and more efficient reduction of GO can be achieved after proper addition of CNTs into GO during the reduction process. This nanotube/nanosheet composite was deposited on electrode as active material for electrochemical energy storage applications. It has been found that the specific capacitance of the composite film was strongly affected by the mass ratio of GO/CNTs and the scanning ratio of cyclic voltammetry. The obtained ERGO/CNT composite electrode exhibited a 279.4 F/g-specific capacitance and showed good cycle rate performance with the evidence that the specific capacitance maintained above 90% after 6000 cycles. The synergistic effect between ERGO and CNTs as well as crossing over of CNTs into ERGO is attributed to the high electrochemical performance of composite electrode.

Improving the power generation of microbial fuel cells by modifying the anode with single-wall carbon nanohorns.

PubMed

Yang, Jiawei; Cheng, Shaoan; Sun, Yi; Li, Chaochao

2017-10-01

To increase the power generation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), anode modification with carbon materials (activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanohorns) was investigated. Maximum power densities of a stainless-steel anode MFC with a non-modified electrode (SS-MFC), an activated carbon-modified electrode (AC-MFC), a carbon nanotube-modified electrode (CNT-MFC) and a carbon nanohorn-modified electrode (CNH-MFC) were 72, 244, 261 and 327 mW m -2 , respectively. The total polarization resistance measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were 3610 Ω for SS-MFC, 283 Ω for AC-MFC, 231 Ω for CNTs-MFC, and 136 Ω for CNHs-MFC, consistent with the anode resistances obtained by fitting the anode polarization curves. Single-wall carbon nanohorns are better than activated carbon and carbon nanotubes as a new anode modification material for improving anode performance.

Layered manganese oxides-decorated and nickel foam-supported carbon nanotubes as advanced binder-free supercapacitor electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ming; Mi, Rui; Liu, Hao; Li, Fei; Zhao, Xiao Li; Zhang, Wei; He, Shi Xuan; Zhang, Yu Xin

2014-12-01

Three-dimensional carbon nanotubes@MnO2 core-shell nanostructures grown on Ni foam for binder-free capacitor electrodes have been fabricated by a floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition process and a facile hydrothermal approach. Ultrathin layered MnO2 nanosheets are uniformly coated on the surface of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs), directly grown on Ni foam. This unique well-designed binder-free electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance (325.5 F g-1 at a current density of 0.3 A g-1), good rate capability (70.7% retention), and excellent cycling stability (90.5% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles), due to the high conductivity of the close contact between CNTs and Ni foam, as well as the moderate specific surface area of the CNTs@MnO2 core-shell nanostructures. The developed synthetic strategy may provide design guidelines for constructing advanced binder-free supercapacitors electrode.

Hybrid biobattery based on arylated carbon nanotubes and laccase.

PubMed

Stolarczyk, Krzysztof; Sepelowska, Małgorzata; Lyp, Dominika; Zelechowska, Kamila; Biernat, Jan F; Rogalski, Jerzy; Farmer, Kevin D; Roberts, Ken N; Bilewicz, Renata

2012-10-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were covalently modified with anthracene and anthraquinone and used for the construction of cathodes for biocatalytic reduction of dioxygen. The nanotubes with aromatic groups casted onto the electrode increased the working surface of the electrode and enabled efficient direct electron transfer (DET) between the enzyme and the electrode. The aryl groups enter the hydrophobic pocket of the T1 center of laccase responsible for exchanging electrons with the substrate. Glassy carbon electrode covered with arylated SWCNT and coated with a layer of neutralized Nafion containing laccase was found to be a very efficient cathode in the hybrid battery. Zn wire covered with a Nafion film served as the anode. The cell parameters were determined: power density was 2 mW/cm(2) and the open circuit potential was 1.5 V. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of anodic TiO2 nanotube composition with high spatial resolution AES and ToF SIMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dronov, Alexey; Gavrilin, Ilya; Kirilenko, Elena; Dronova, Daria; Gavrilov, Sergey

2018-03-01

High resolution Scanning Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass-Spectrometry (ToF SIMS) were used to investigate structure and elemental composition variation of both across an array of TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) and single tube of an array. The TiO2 NT array was grown by anodic oxidation of Ti foil in fluorine-containing ethylene glycol electrolyte. It was found that the studied anodic TiO2 nanotubes have a layered structure with rather sharp interfaces. The differences in AES depth profiling results of a single tube with the focused primary electron beam (point analysis) and over an area of 75 μm in diameter of a nanotube array with the defocused primary electron beam are discussed. Depth profiling by ToF SIMS was carried out over approximately the same size of a nanotube array to determine possible ionic fragments in the structure. The analysis results show that the combination of both mentioned methods is useful for a detailed analysis of nanostructures with complex morphology and multi-layered nature.

Highly efficient and completely flexible fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Zhibin; Yu, Jiefeng; Wu, Hongwei; Shang, Jian; Wang, Dan; Hou, Shaocong; Fu, Yongping; Wu, Kai; Zou, Dechun

2012-02-01

A type of highly efficient completely flexible fiber-shaped solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array is successfully prepared. Under air mass 1.5G (100 mW cm-2) illumination conditions, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell approaches 7%, the highest among all fiber-shaped cells based on TiO2 nanotube arrays and the first completely flexible fiber-shaped DSSC. The fiber-shaped solar cell demonstrates good flexibility, which makes it suitable for modularization using weaving technologies.A type of highly efficient completely flexible fiber-shaped solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array is successfully prepared. Under air mass 1.5G (100 mW cm-2) illumination conditions, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell approaches 7%, the highest among all fiber-shaped cells based on TiO2 nanotube arrays and the first completely flexible fiber-shaped DSSC. The fiber-shaped solar cell demonstrates good flexibility, which makes it suitable for modularization using weaving technologies. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr11532h

Energy storage media for ultracapacitors

DOEpatents

Brambilla, Nicol Michelle; Martini, Fabrizio; Ramachandra, Kavya; Signorelli, Riccardo; Corripio, Luna Oscar Enrique

2015-12-22

An ultracapacitor includes at least one electrode that includes carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotubes may be applied in a variety of ways, and a plurality of layers may be included. Methods of fabrication of carbon nanotubes and ultracapacitors are provided.

Arrays of Bundles of Carbon Nanotubes as Field Emitters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manohara, Harish; Bronkowski, Michael

2007-01-01

Experiments have shown that with suitable choices of critical dimensions, planar arrays of bundles of carbon nanotubes (see figure) can serve as high-current-density field emitter (cold-cathode) electron sources. Whereas some hot-cathode electron sources must be operated at supply potentials of thousands of volts, these cold-cathode sources generate comparable current densities when operated at tens of volts. Consequently, arrays of bundles of carbon nanotubes might prove useful as cold-cathode sources in miniature, lightweight electron-beam devices (e.g., nanoklystrons) soon to be developed. Prior to the experiments, all reported efforts to develop carbon-nanotube-based field-emission sources had yielded low current densities from a few hundred microamperes to a few hundred milliamperes per square centimeter. An electrostatic screening effect, in which taller nanotubes screen the shorter ones from participating in field emission, was conjectured to be what restricts the emission of electrons to such low levels. It was further conjectured that the screening effect could be reduced and thus emission levels increased by increasing the spacing between nanotubes to at least by a factor of one to two times the height of the nanotubes. While this change might increase the emission from individual nanotubes, it would decrease the number of nanotubes per unit area and thereby reduce the total possible emission current. Therefore, to maximize the area-averaged current density, it would be necessary to find an optimum combination of nanotube spacing and nanotube height. The present concept of using an array of bundles of nanotubes arises partly from the concept of optimizing the spacing and height of field emitters. It also arises partly from the idea that single nanotubes may have short lifetimes as field emitters, whereas bundles of nanotubes could afford redundancy so that the loss of a single nanotube would not significantly reduce the overall field emission.

Electrode property of single-walled carbon nanotubes in all-solid-state lithium ion battery using polymer electrolyte

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sakamoto, Y.; Ishii, Y.; Kawasaki, S., E-mail: kawasaki.shinji@nitech.ac.jp

2016-07-06

Electrode properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in an all-solid-state lithium ion battery were investigated using poly-ethylene oxide (PEO) solid electrolyte. Charge-discharge curves of SWCNTs in the solid electrolyte cell were successfully observed. It was found that PEO electrolyte decomposes on the surface of SWCNTs.

A General Method for the Chemical Synthesis of Large-Scale, Seamless Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Electronics.

PubMed

Li, Li; Guo, Yichuan; Sun, Yuping; Yang, Long; Qin, Liang; Guan, Shouliang; Wang, Jinfen; Qiu, Xiaohui; Li, Hongbian; Shang, Yuanyuan; Fang, Ying

2018-03-01

The capability to directly build atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) devices by chemical synthesis offers important opportunities to achieve large-scale electronics and optoelectronics with seamless interfaces. Here, a general approach for the chemical synthesis of a variety of TMD (e.g., MoS 2 , WS 2 , and MoSe 2 ) device arrays over large areas is reported. During chemical vapor deposition, semiconducting TMD channels and metallic TMD/carbon nanotube (CNT) hybrid electrodes are simultaneously formed on CNT-patterned substrate, and then coalesce into seamless devices. Chemically synthesized TMD devices exhibit attractive electrical and mechanical properties. It is demonstrated that chemically synthesized MoS 2 -MoS 2 /CNT devices have Ohmic contacts between MoS 2 /CNT hybrid electrodes and MoS 2 channels. In addition, MoS 2 -MoS 2 /CNT devices show greatly enhanced mechanical stability and photoresponsivity compared with conventional gold-contacted devices, which makes them suitable for flexible optoelectronics. Accordingly, a highly flexible pixel array based on chemically synthesized MoS 2 -MoS 2 /CNT photodetectors is applied for image sensing. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Carbon Nanotube Array for Infrared Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-05

ctron Transport Charact eri stic s of a Carbon nanotub es/S i He terodimensional He tero structure." Materials Research Society, Spring meeting (2008). 3...From - To) 05-12-2008 Final 27 09 2006-26 09 2008 4 . TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a . CONTRACT NUMBER Carbon Nanotube Array for Infrared Detection 5b...Distribution is unlimited 13 . SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14 . ABSTRACT We explore the basic science issues and device potential of our carbon nanotube-silicon (CNT

Effect of Size-Dependent Thermal Instability on Synthesis of Zn2 SiO4-SiOx Core–Shell Nanotube Arrays and Their Cathodoluminescence Properties

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Vertically aligned Zn2SiO4-SiOx(x < 2) core–shell nanotube arrays consisting of Zn2SiO4-nanoparticle chains encapsulated into SiOx nanotubes and SiOx-coated Zn2SiO4 coaxial nanotubes were synthesized via one-step thermal annealing process using ZnO nanowire (ZNW) arrays as templates. The appearance of different nanotube morphologies was due to size-dependent thermal instability and specific melting of ZNWs. With an increase in ZNW diameter, the formation mechanism changed from decomposition of “etching” to Rayleigh instability and then to Kirkendall effect, consequently resulting in polycrystalline Zn2SiO4-SiOx coaxial nanotubes, single-crystalline Zn2SiO4-nanoparticle-chain-embedded SiOx nanotubes, and single-crystalline Zn2SiO4-SiOx coaxial nanotubes. The difference in spatially resolved optical properties related to a particular morphology was efficiently documented by means of cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy using a middle-ultraviolet emission at 310 nm from the Zn2SiO4 phase. PMID:20672064

Improving Single-Carbon-Nanotube-Electrode Contacts Using Molecular Electronics.

PubMed

Krittayavathananon, Atiweena; Ngamchuea, Kamonwad; Li, Xiuting; Batchelor-McAuley, Christopher; Kätelhön, Enno; Chaisiwamongkhol, Korbua; Sawangphruk, Montree; Compton, Richard G

2017-08-17

We report the use of an electroactive species, acetaminophen, to modify the electrical connection between a carbon nanotube (CNT) and an electrode. By applying a potential across two electrodes, some of the CNTs in solution occasionally contact the electrified interface and bridge between two electrodes. By observing a single CNT contact between two microbands of an interdigitated Au electrode in the presence and absence of acetaminophen, the role of the molecular species at the electronic junction is revealed. As compared with the pure CNT, the current magnitude of the acetaminophen-modified CNTs significantly increases with the applied potentials, indicating that the molecule species improves the junction properties probably via redox shuttling.

Maskless writing of a flexible nanoscale transistor with Au-contacted carbon nanotube electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dockendorf, Cedric P. R.; Poulikakos, Dimos; Hwang, Gilgueng; Nelson, Bradley J.; Grigoropoulos, Costas P.

2007-12-01

A flexible polymer field effect transistor with a nanoscale carbon nanotube channel is conceptualized and realized herein. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were dispersed on a polyimide substrate and marked in an scanning electron microscope with focused ion beam such that they could be contacted with gold nanoink. The CNTs were divided into two parts forming the source and drain of the transistor. A micropipette writing method was used to contact the carbon nanotube electrodes with gold nanoink and to deposit the poly(3-hexylthiophene) as an active layer. The mobility of the transistors is of the order of 10-5cm/Vs. After fabrication, the flexible transistors can be peeled off the substrate.

Electrochemically conductive treatment of TiO2 nanotube arrays in AlCl3 aqueous solution for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Wenjie; Sang, Shangbin; Liu, Yingying; Wu, Qiumei; Liu, Kaiyu; Liu, Hongtao

2015-10-01

Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) with excellent stability and large specific surface area make them competitive using as supercapacitor materials. Improving the conductivity of TiO2 is of great concern for the construction of high-performance supercapacitors. In this work, we developed a novel approach to improve the performance of TiO2 materials, involving the fabrication of Al-doped TiO2 NTAs by a simple electrochemical cathodic polarization treatment in AlCl3 aqueous solution. The prepared Al-doped TiO2 NTAs exhibited excellent electrochemical performances, attributing to the remarkably improved electrical conductivity (i.e., from approx. 10 kΩ to 20 Ω). Further analysis showed that Al3+ ions rather than H+ protons doped into TiO2 lattice cause this high conductivity. A MnO2/Al-TiO2 composite was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, and achieved the specific capacitance of 544 F g-1, and the Ragone plot of the sample showed a high power density but less reduction of energy density. These results indicate that the MnO2/Al-TiO2 NTAs sample could be served as a promising electrode material for high -performance supercapacitors.

Electrochemical Impedance Imaging via the Distribution of Diffusion Times.

PubMed

Song, Juhyun; Bazant, Martin Z

2018-03-16

We develop a mathematical framework to analyze electrochemical impedance spectra in terms of a distribution of diffusion times (DDT) for a parallel array of random finite-length Warburg (diffusion) or Gerischer (reaction-diffusion) circuit elements. A robust DDT inversion method is presented based on complex nonlinear least squares regression with Tikhonov regularization and illustrated for three cases of nanostructured electrodes for energy conversion: (i) a carbon nanotube supercapacitor, (ii) a silicon nanowire Li-ion battery, and (iii) a porous-carbon vanadium flow battery. The results demonstrate the feasibility of nondestructive "impedance imaging" to infer microstructural statistics of random, heterogeneous materials.

Cerium phosphate nanotubes: synthesis, characterization and biosensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Ling; Yang, Lige; Zhou, Bo; Cai, Chenxin

2009-01-01

Cerium phosphate (CeP) nanotubes have been synthesized and confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 1D nanomaterial has a monoclinic crystal structure with a mean width of 15-20 nm and a length up to several micrometers. The nanotubes have been employed as electrode substrates for immobilization and direct electrochemistry of heme proteins/enzymes with myoglobin (Mb) as a model. The electrochemical characteristics of the Mb-CeP/GC electrode were studied by voltammetry. After being immobilized on the nanotubes, Mb can keep its natural structure and undergo effective direct electron transfer reaction with a pair of well-defined redox peaks at -(367 ± 3) mV (pH 7.5). The apparent electron transfer rate constant is (9.1 ± 1.4) s-1. The electrode displays good features in the electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2, and thus can be used as a biosensor for detecting the substrate with a low detection limit (0.5 ± 0.05 µM), a wide linear range (0.01-2 mM), high sensitivity (14.4 ± 1.2 µA mM-1), as well as good stability and reproducibility. CeP nanotubes can become a simple and effective biosensing platform for the integration of heme proteins/enzymes and electrodes, which can provide analytical access to a large group of enzymes for a wide range of bioelectrochemical applications.

Carbon nanotube yarns for deep brain stimulation electrode.

PubMed

Jiang, Changqing; Li, Luming; Hao, Hongwei

2011-12-01

A new form of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode was proposed that was made of carbon nanotube yarns (CNTYs). Electrode interface properties were examined using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS). The CNTY electrode interface exhibited large charge storage capacity (CSC) of 12.3 mC/cm(2) which increased to 98.6 mC/cm(2) after acid treatment, compared with 5.0 mC/cm(2) of Pt-Ir. Impedance spectrum of both untreated and treated CNTY electrodes showed that finite diffusion process occurred at the interface due to their porous structure and charge was delivered through capacitive mechanism. To evaluate stability electrical stimulus was exerted for up to 72 h and CV and EIS results of CNTY electrodes revealed little alteration. Therefore CNTY could make a good electrode material for DBS.

Electrical, Mechanical, and Capacity Percolation Leads to High-Performance MoS2/Nanotube Composite Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes.

PubMed

Liu, Yuping; He, Xiaoyun; Hanlon, Damien; Harvey, Andrew; Khan, Umar; Li, Yanguang; Coleman, Jonathan N

2016-06-28

Advances in lithium ion batteries would facilitate technological developments in areas from electrical vehicles to mobile communications. While two-dimensional systems like MoS2 are promising electrode materials due to their potentially high capacity, their poor rate capability and low cycle stability are severe handicaps. Here, we study the electrical, mechanical, and lithium storage properties of solution-processed MoS2/carbon nanotube anodes. Nanotube addition gives up to 10(10)-fold and 40-fold increases in electrical conductivity and mechanical toughness, respectively. The increased conductivity results in up to a 100× capacity enhancement to ∼1200 mAh/g (∼3000 mAh/cm(3)) at 0.1 A/g, while the improved toughness significantly boosts cycle stability. Composites with 20 wt % nanotubes combine high reversible capacity with excellent cycling stability (e.g., ∼950 mAh/g after 500 cycles at 2 A/g) and high rate capability (∼600 mAh/g at 20 A/g). The conductivity, toughness, and capacity scale with nanotube content according to percolation theory, while the stability increases sharply at the mechanical percolation threshold. We believe that the improvements in conductivity and toughness obtained after addition of nanotubes can be transferred to other electrode materials, such as silicon nanoparticles.

Design of hybrid two-dimensional and three-dimensional nanostructured arrays for electronic and sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Hyunhyub

This dissertation presents the design of organic/inorganic hybrid 2D and 3D nanostructured arrays via controlled assembly of nanoscale building blocks. Two representative nanoscale building blocks such as carbon nanotubes (one-dimension) and metal nanoparticles (zero-dimension) are the core materials for the study of solution-based assembly of nanostructured arrays. The electrical, mechanical, and optical properties of the assembled nanostructure arrays have been investigated for future device applications. We successfully demonstrated the prospective use of assembled nanostructure arrays for electronic and sensing applications by designing flexible carbon nanotube nanomembranes as mechanical sensors, highly-oriented carbon nanotubes arrays for thin-film transistors, and gold nanoparticle arrays for SERS chemical sensors. In first section, we fabricated highly ordered carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays by tilted drop-casting or dip-coating of CNT solution on silicon substrates functionalized with micropatterned self-assembled monolayers. We further exploited the electronic performance of thin-film transistors based on highly-oriented, densely packed CNT micropatterns and showed that the carrier mobility is largely improved compared to randomly oriented CNTs. The prospective use of Raman-active CNTs for potential mechanical sensors has been investigated by studying the mechano-optical properties of flexible carbon nanotube nanomembranes, which contain freely-suspended carbon nanotube array encapsulated into ultrathin (<50 nm) layer-by-layer (LbL) polymer multilayers. In second section, we fabricated 3D nano-canal arrays of porous alumina membranes decorated with gold nanoparticles for prospective SERS sensors. We showed extraordinary SERS enhancement and suggested that the high performance is associated with the combined effects of Raman-active hot spots of nanoparticle aggregates and the optical waveguide properties of nano-canals. We demonstrated the ability of this SERS substrate for trace level sensing of nitroaromatic explosives by detecting down to 100 zeptogram (˜330 molecules) of DNT.

Electrochemiluminescence of luminol at the titanate nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode.

PubMed

Xu, Guifang; Zeng, Xiaoxue; Lu, Shuangyan; Dai, Hong; Gong, Lingshan; Lin, Yanyu; Wang, Qingping; Tong, Yuejin; Chen, Guonan

2013-01-01

A new strategy for the construction of a sensitive and stable electrochemiluminescent platform based on titanate nanotubes (TNTs) and Nafion composite modified electrode for luminol is described, TNTs contained composite modified electrodes that showed some photocatalytic activity toward luminol electrochemiluminescence emission, and thus could dramatically enhance luminol light emission. This extremely sensitive and stable platform allowed a decrease of the experiment electrochemiluminescence luminol reagent. In addition, in luminol solution at low concentrations, we compared the capabilities of a bare glassy carbon electrode with the TNT composite modified electrode for hydrogen peroxide detection. The results indicated that compared with glassy carbon electrode this platform was extraordinarily sensitive to hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, by combining with an appropriate enzymatic reaction, this platform would be a sensitive matrix for many biomolecules.

Direct and Dry Deposited Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films Doped with MoO(x) as Electron-Blocking Transparent Electrodes for Flexible Organic Solar Cells.

PubMed

Jeon, Il; Cui, Kehang; Chiba, Takaaki; Anisimov, Anton; Nasibulin, Albert G; Kauppinen, Esko I; Maruyama, Shigeo; Matsuo, Yutaka

2015-07-01

Organic solar cells have been regarded as a promising electrical energy source. Transparent and conductive carbon nanotube film offers an alternative to commonly used ITO in photovoltaics with superior flexibility. This communication reports carbon nanotube-based indium-free organic solar cells and their flexible application. Direct and dry deposited carbon nanotube film doped with MoO(x) functions as an electron-blocking transparent electrode, and its performance is enhanced further by overcoating with PSS. The single-walled carbon nanotube organic solar cell in this work shows a power conversion efficiency of 6.04%. This value is 83% of the leading ITO-based device performance (7.48%). Flexible application shows 3.91% efficiency and is capable of withstanding a severe cyclic flex test.

Electrochemical oxidation of 4-chlorophenol for wastewater treatment using highly active UV treated TiO2 nanotubes.

PubMed

Tian, Min; Thind, Sapanbir S; Dondapati, Jesse S; Li, Xinyong; Chen, Aicheng

2018-06-07

In the present work, we report on a facile UV treatment approach for enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of TiO 2 nanotubes. The TiO 2 nanotubes were prepared using an anodization oxidation method by applying a voltage of 40 V for 8 h in a DMSO + 2% HF solution, and further treated under UV light irradiation. Compared with Pt and untreated TiO 2 nanotubes, the UV treated electrode exhibited a superior electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of 4-chlorophenol (4-ClPh). The effects of current density and temperature on the electrochemical oxidation of the 4-ClPh were also systematically investigated. The high electrocatalytic activity of the UV treated TiO 2 nanotubes was further confirmed by the electrochemical oxidation of other persistent organic pollutants including phenol, 2-, 3-, 4-nitrophenol, and 4-aminophenol. The total organic carbon (TOC) analysis revealed that over 90% 4-ClPh was removed when the UV treated TiO 2 electrode was employed and the rate constant was 16 times faster than that of the untreated TiO 2 electrode; whereas only 60% 4-ClPh was eliminated at the Pt electrode under the same conditions. This dramatically improved electrocatalytic activity might be attributed to the enhanced donor density, conductivity, and high overpotential for oxygen evolution. Our results demonstrated that the application of the UV treatment to the TiO 2 nanotubes enhanced their electrochemical activity and energy consumption efficiency significantly, which is highly desirable for the abatement of persistent organic pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A display module implemented by the fast high-temperatue response of carbon nanotube thin yarns.

PubMed

Wei, Yang; Liu, Peng; Jiang, Kaili; Fan, Shoushan

2012-05-09

Suspending superaligned multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) films were processed into CNT thin yarns, about 1 μm in diameter, by laser cutting and an ethanol atomization bath treatment. The fast high-temperature response under a vacuum was revealed by monitoring the incandescent light with a photo diode. The thin yarns can be electrically heated up to 2170 K in 0.79 mS, and the succeeding cool-down time is 0.36 mS. The fast response is attributed to the ultrasmall mass of the independent single yarn, large radiation coefficient, and improved thermal conductance through the two cool ends. The millisecond response time makes it possible to use the visible hot thin yarns as light-emitting elements of an incandescent display. A fully sealed display with 16 × 16 matrix was successfully fabricated using screen-printed thick electrodes and CNT thin yarns. It can display rolling characters with a low power consumption. More applications can be further developed based on the addressable CNT thermal arrays.

Photoelectrocatalytic Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide by Molecular Copper-Porphyrin Supported on Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes.

PubMed

Apaydin, Dogukan H; Seelajaroen, Hathaichanok; Pengsakul, Orathip; Thamyongkit, Patchanita; Sariciftci, Niyazi Serdar; Kunze-Liebhäuser, Julia; Portenkirchner, Engelbert

2018-04-24

We report on a self-assembled system comprising a molecular copper-porphyrin photoelectrocatalyst, 5-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinatocopper(II) (CuTPP-COOH), covalently bound to self-organized, anodic titania nanotube arrays (TiO 2 NTs) for photoelectrochemical reduction of oxygen. Visible light irradiation of the porphyrin-covered TiO 2 NTs under cathodic polarization up to -0.3 V vs. Normal hydrogen electrode (NHE) photocatalytically produces H 2 O 2 in pH neutral electrolyte, at room temperature and without need of sacrificial electron donors. The formation of H 2 O 2 upon irradiation is proven and quantified by direct colorimetric detection using 4-nitrophenyl boronic acid ( p -NPBA) as a reactant. This simple approach for the attachment of a small molecular catalyst to TiO 2 NTs may ultimately allow for the preparation of a low-cost H 2 O 2 evolving cathode for efficient photoelectrochemical energy storage under ambient conditions.

Organometal halide perovskite light-emitting diodes with laminated carbon nanotube electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Xin; Bade, Sri Ganesh R.; Geske, Thomas; Davis, Melissa; Smith, Rachel; Yu, Zhibin

2017-08-01

Organometal halide perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with laminated carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes are reported. The LEDs have an indium tin oxide (ITO) bottom electrode, a screen printed methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr3)/polymer composite thin film as the emissive layer, and laminated CNT as the top electrode. The devices can be turned on at 2.2 V, reaching a brightness of 4,960 cd m-2 and a current efficiency of 1.54 cd A-1 at 6.9 V. The greatly simplified fabrication process in this work can potentially lead to the scalable manufacturing of large size and low cost LED panels in the future.

Graphene and carbon nanotube composite electrodes for supercapacitors with ultra-high energy density.

PubMed

Cheng, Qian; Tang, Jie; Ma, Jun; Zhang, Han; Shinya, Norio; Qin, Lu-Chang

2011-10-21

We describe a graphene and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composite film prepared by a blending process for use as electrodes in high energy density supercapacitors. Specific capacitances of 290.6 F g(-1) and 201.0 F g(-1) have been obtained for a single electrode in aqueous and organic electrolytes, respectively, using a more practical two-electrode testing system. In the organic electrolyte the energy density reached 62.8 Wh kg(-1) and the power density reached 58.5 kW kg(-1). The addition of single-walled carbon nanotubes raised the energy density by 23% and power density by 31% more than the graphene electrodes. The graphene/CNT electrodes exhibited an ultra-high energy density of 155.6 Wh kg(-1) in ionic liquid at room temperature. In addition, the specific capacitance increased by 29% after 1000 cycles in ionic liquid, indicating their excellent cyclicity. The SWCNTs acted as a conductive additive, spacer, and binder in the graphene/CNT supercapacitors. This work suggests that our graphene/CNT supercapacitors can be comparable to NiMH batteries in performance and are promising for applications in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

Visible-light-driven photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances of Cr-doped SrTiO3/TiO2 heterostructured nanotube arrays.

PubMed

Jiao, Zhengbo; Chen, Tao; Xiong, Jinyan; Wang, Teng; Lu, Gongxuan; Ye, Jinhua; Bi, Yingpu

2013-01-01

Well-aligned TiO2 nanotube arrays have become of increasing significance because of their unique highly ordered array structure, high specific surface area, unidirectional charge transfer and transportation features. However, their poor visible light utilization as well as the high recombination rate of photoexcited electron-hole pairs greatly limited their practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of visible-light-responsive heterostructured Cr-doped SrTiO3/TiO2 nanotube arrays by a simple hydrothermal method, which facilitate efficient charge separation and thus improve the photoelectrochemical as well as photocatalytic performances.

Effects of electrode distance and nature of electrolyte on the diameter of titanium dioxide nanotube

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbasi, S., E-mail: sum.abbasi@gmail.com; Mohamed, N. M., E-mail: noranimuti-mohamed@petronas.com.my; Singh, B. S. M., E-mail: balbir@petronas.com.my

2015-07-22

The titanium nanotubes were synthesized using viscous electrolytes consisting of ethylene glycol and non-viscous electrolytes consisting of aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid. Sodium fluoride and ammonium fluoride were utilized as the source of fluorine ions. The samples were then characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Their morphologies were investigated under different anodic potentials and various electrolyte compositions. It was found out that nanotubes can be obtained in fluoride ions and morphology is dependent on various parameters like anodic potential, time, electrolyte composition and the effects by varying the distance between the electrodes on the morphology was also investigated.more » It was found that by altering the distance between the electrodes, change in the diameter and the porosity was observed.« less

Carbon-Nanotube-Based Electrochemical Double-Layer Capacitor Technologies for Spaceflight Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arepalli, S.; Fireman, H.; Huffman, C.; Maloney, P.; Nikolaev, P.; Yowell, L.; Kim, K.; Kohl, P. A.; Higgins, C. D.; Turano, S. P.

2005-01-01

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors, or supercapacitors, have tremendous potential as high-power energy sources for use in low-weight hybrid systems for space exploration. Electrodes based on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) offer exceptional power and energy performance due to the high surface area, high conductivity, and the ability to functionalize the SWCNTs to optimize capacitor properties. This paper will report on the preparation of electrochemical capacitors incorporating SWCNT electrodes and their performance compared with existing commercial technology. Preliminary results indicate that substantial increases in power and energy density are possible. The effects of nanotube growth and processing methods on electrochemical capacitor performance is also presented. The compatibility of different SWCNTs and electrolytes was studied by varying the type of electrolyte ions that accumulate on the high-surface-area electrodes.

Moving towards high-power, high-frequency and low-resistance CNT supercapacitors by tuning the CNT length, axial deformation and contact resistance.

PubMed

Basiricò, L; Lanzara, G

2012-08-03

In this paper it is shown that the electrochemical behaviour of vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (VANT) supercapacitors is influenced by the VANTs' length (electrode thickness), by their axial compression and by their interface with the current collector. It is found that the VANTs, which can be interpreted as a dense array of nanochannels, have an active area available to ions that is strongly affected by the electrode's thickness and compressional state. Consequently, the tested thinner electrodes, compressed electrodes or a combination of the two were found to be characterized by a significant improvement in terms of power density (up to 1246%), knee frequency (58,822% working up to 10 kHz), equivalent series resistance (ESR, up to 67%) and capacitance (up to 21%) when compared with thicker and/or uncompressed electrodes. These values are significantly higher than those reported in the literature where long VANTs with no control on compression are typically used. It is also shown that the ESR can be reduced not only by using shorter and compressed VANTs that have a higher conductance or by improving the electrode/collector electrical contact by changing the contact morphology at the nanoscale through compression, but also by depositing a thin platinum layer on the VANT tips in contact with the current collector (73% ESR decrease).

Bienzyme bionanomultilayer electrode for glucose biosensing based on functional carbon nanotubes and sugar-lectin biospecific interaction.

PubMed

Chen, Huan; Xi, Fengna; Gao, Xia; Chen, Zhichun; Lin, Xianfu

2010-08-01

Bienzyme bionanomultilayer electrode for glucose biosensing was constructed based on functional carbon nanotubes and sugar-lectin biospecific interaction through layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. After being functionalized by wrapping with polyelectrolyte, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MCNTs) were water soluble and positively charged. MCNT-bienzyme bionanomultilayer electrode was then fabricated by LBL assembly of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and glucose oxidase (GOD) on functional MCNT modified electrode. The attachment of the MCNT-bienzyme bionanomultilayer with the underlying electrode and each layer in the bionanomultilayer was based on reliably electrostatic or sugar-lectin biospecific interaction. The developed bienzyme biosensor exhibited fast amperometric response for the determination of glucose. The linear response of the developed biosensor for the determination of glucose ranged from 2.0 x 10(-6) to 1.7 x 10(-4) M with a detection limit of 2.5 x 10(-7) M. The biosensor can be used directly to determine glucose in serum. The construction of the bienzyme biosensor showed potential for the preparation of MCNT-enzyme nanocomposite with controllability and high performance. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Percolation effects in supercapacitors with thin, transparent carbon nanotube electrodes.

PubMed

King, Paul J; Higgins, Thomas M; De, Sukanta; Nicoloso, Norbert; Coleman, Jonathan N

2012-02-28

We have explored the effects of percolation on the properties of supercapacitors with thin nanotube networks as electrodes. We find the equivalent series resistance, R(ESR), and volumetric capacitance, C(V), to be thickness independent for relatively thick electrodes. However, once the electrode thickness falls below a threshold thickness (∼100 nm for R(ESR) and ∼20 nm for C(V)), the properties of the electrode become thickness dependent. We show the thickness dependence of both R(ESR) and C(V) to be consistent with percolation theory. While this is expected for R(ESR), that the capacitance follows a percolation scaling law is not. This occurs because, for sparse networks, the capacitance is proportional to the fraction of nanotubes connected to the main network. This fraction, in turn, follows a percolation scaling law. This allows us to understand and quantify the limitations on the achievable capacitance for transparent supercapacitors. We find that supercapacitors with thickness independent R(ESR) and C(V) occupy a well-defined region of the Ragone plot. However, supercapacitors whose electrodes are limited by percolation occupy a long tail to lower values of energy and power density. For example, replacing electrodes with transparency of T = 80% with thinner networks displaying T = 97% will result in a 20-fold reduction of both power and energy density.

Fabrication of doped TiO2 nanotube array films with enhanced photo-catalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peighambardoust, Naeimeh-Sadat; Khameneh-asl, Shahin; Khademi, Adib

2018-01-01

In the present work, we investigate the N and Fe-doped TiO2 nanotube array film prepared by treating TiO2 nanotube array film with ammonia solution and anodizing in Fe(NO3)3 solution respectively. This method avoided the use of hazardous ammonia gas, or laborious ion implantation process. N and Fe-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTs) were prepared by electrochemical anodization process in 0.5 wt % HF aqueous solution. The anodization was performed at the conditions of 20 V and 20 min, Followed by a wet immersion in NH3.H2O (1M) for N-doping for 2 hr and annealing post-treatment at 450 °C. The morphology and structure of the nanotube films were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and EDX. UV-vis. illumination test were done to observe photo-enhanced catalysis. The effect of different annealing temperature on the structure and photo-absorption property of the TiO2-TNTs was investigated. The results showed that N-TNTs nanotubes exhibited higher photocatalytic activity compared whit the Fe-doped and pure TNTs, because doping N promoted the separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes.

Mild in situ growth of platinum nanoparticles on multiwalled carbon nanotube-poly (vinyl alcohol) hydrogel electrode for glucose electrochemical oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shumin; Zheng, Yudong; Qiao, Kun; Su, Lei; Sanghera, Amendeep; Song, Wenhui; Yue, Lina; Sun, Yi

2015-12-01

This investigation describes an effective strategy to fabricate an electrochemically active hybrid hydrogel made from platinum nanoparticles that are highly dense, uniformly dispersed, and tightly embedded throughout the conducting hydrogel network for the electrochemical oxidation of glucose. A suspension of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and polyvinyl alcohol aqueous was coated on glassy carbon electrode by electrophoretic deposition and then physically crosslinked to form a three-dimensional porous conductive hydrogel network by a process of freezing and thawing. The network offered 3D interconnected mass-transport channels (around 200 nm) and confined nanotemplates for in situ growth of uniform platinum nanoparticles via the moderate reduction agent, ascorbic acid. The resulting hybrid hydrogel electrode membrane demonstrates an effective method for loading platinum nanoparticles on multiwalled carbon nanotubes by the electrostatic adsorption between multiwalled carbon nanotubes and platinum ions within porous hydrogel network. The average diameter of platinum nanoparticles is 37 ± 14 nm, which is less than the particle size by only using the moderate reduction agent. The hybrid hydrogel electrode membrane-coated glassy carbon electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity and good long-term stability toward glucose electrochemical oxidation. The glucose oxidation current exhibited a linear relationship with the concentration of glucose in the presence of chloride ions, promising for potential applications of implantable biofuel cells, biosensors, and electronic devices.

Investigation of the influence of geometric parameters of carbon nanotube arrays on their adhesion properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Il’ina, M. V.; Konshin, A. A.; Il’in, O. I.; Rudyk, N. N.; Fedotov, A. A.; Ageev, O. A.

2018-03-01

The results of experimental studies of adhesion of carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays with different geometric parameters and orientations using atomic-force microscopy are presented. The adhesion values of CNT arrays were determined, which were from 82 to 1315 nN depending on the parameters of the array. As a result, it was established that the adhesion of a CNT array increases with an increase in branching and disorientation of the array, as well as with the growth of the aspect ratio of CNTs in the array.

Formation of anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays in NaOH added fluoride-ethylene glycol electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyein, Nyein; Tan, Wai Kian; Kawamura, Go; Matsuda, Atsunori; Lockman, Zainovia

2017-07-01

TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays were formed by anodizing titanium foil in fluoride-ethylene glycol (EG) electrolyte added to it either water (H2O) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as oxidant. In NaOH added fluoride-EG electrolyte, 10 µm long TNT arrays were formed compared to 5 μm long nanotubes in H2O added fluoride-EG electrolyte. When NaOH was added to EG, the electrolyte pH was 9. As the pH of the electrolyte was rather high, surface etching of the nanotubes was reduced resulting in tubes with longer length. Moreover, the addition of NaOH into fluoride-EG resulted in the crystallization of anatase in the as-made TNT arrays. Annealing obviously improved the crystallinity of the oxide. The TNT arrays were then used as a photoanode in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). A photoconversion efficiency of 2.4 % was recorded with photocurrent of 6.9 mA/cm2.

Carbon nanotubes on a substrate

DOEpatents

Gao, Yufei [Kennewick, WA; Liu, Jun [West Richland, WA

2002-03-26

The present invention includes carbon nanotubes whose hollow cores are 100% filled with conductive filler. The carbon nanotubes are in uniform arrays on a conductive substrate and are well-aligned and can be densely packed. The uniformity of the carbon nanotube arrays is indicated by the uniform length and diameter of the carbon nanotubes, both which vary from nanotube to nanotube on a given array by no more than about 5%. The alignment of the carbon nanotubes is indicated by the perpendicular growth of the nanotubes from the substrates which is achieved in part by the simultaneous growth of the conductive filler within the hollow core of the nanotube and the densely packed growth of the nanotubes. The present invention provides a densely packed carbon nanotube growth where each nanotube is in contact with at least one nearest-neighbor nanotube. The substrate is a conductive substrate coated with a growth catalyst, and the conductive filler can be single crystals of carbide formed by a solid state reaction between the substrate material and the growth catalyst. The present invention further provides a method for making the filled carbon nanotubes on the conductive substrates. The method includes the steps of depositing a growth catalyst onto the conductive substrate as a prepared substrate, creating a vacuum within a vessel which contains the prepared substrate, flowing H2/inert (e.g. Ar) gas within the vessel to increase and maintain the pressure within the vessel, increasing the temperature of the prepared substrate, and changing the H2/Ar gas to ethylene gas such that the ethylene gas flows within the vessel. Additionally, varying the density and separation of the catalyst particles on the conductive substrate can be used to control the diameter of the nanotubes.

Method of making carbon nanotubes on a substrate

DOEpatents

Gao, Yufei; Liu, Jun

2006-03-14

The present invention includes carbon nanotubes whose hollow cores are 100% filled with conductive filler. The carbon nanotubes are in uniform arrays on a conductive substrate and are well-aligned and can be densely packed. The uniformity of the carbon nanotube arrays is indicated by the uniform length and diameter of the carbon nanotubes, both which vary from nanotube to nanotube on a given array by no more than about 5%. The alignment of the carbon nanotubes is indicated by the perpendicular growth of the nanotubes from the substrates which is achieved in part by the simultaneous growth of the conductive filler within the hollow core of the nanotube and the densely packed growth of the nanotubes. The present invention provides a densely packed carbon nanotube growth where each nanotube is in contact with at least one nearest-neighbor nanotube. The substrate is a conductive substrate coated with a growth catalyst, and the conductive filler can be single crystals of carbide formed by a solid state reaction between the substrate material and the growth catalyst. The present invention further provides a method for making the filled carbon nanotubes on the conductive substrates. The method includes the steps of depositing a growth catalyst onto the conductive substrate as a prepared substrate, creating a vacuum within a vessel which contains the prepared substrate, flowing H2/inert (e.g. Ar) gas within the vessel to increase and maintain the pressure within the vessel, increasing the temperature of the prepared substrate, and changing the H2/Ar gas to ethylene gas such that the ethylene gas flows within the vessel. Additionally, varying the density and separation of the catalyst particles on the conductive substrate can be used to control the diameter of the nanotubes.

High Power Electric Double-Layer Capacitors based on Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids and Nanostructured Carbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Carlos R.

The efficient storage of electrical energy constitutes both a fundamental challenge for 21st century science and an urgent requirement for the sustainability of our technological civilization. The push for cleaner renewable forms of energy production, such as solar and wind power, strongly depends on a concomitant development of suitable storage methods to pair with these intermittent sources, as well as for mobile applications, such as vehicles and personal electronics. In this regard, Electrochemical Double-Layer Capacitors (supercapacitors) represent a vibrant area of research due to their environmental friendliness, long lifetimes, high power capability, and relative underdevelopment when compared to electrochemical batteries. Currently supercapacitors have gravimetric energies one order of magnitude lower than similarly advanced batteries, while conversly enjoying a similar advantage over them in terms of power. The challenge is to increase the gravimentric energies and conserve the high power. On the material side, research focuses on highly porous supports and electrolytes, the critical components of supercapacitors. Through the use of electrolyte systems with a wider electrochemical stability window, as well as properly tailored carbon nanomaterials as electrodes, significant improvements in performance are possible. Room Temperature Ionic Liquids and Carbide-Derived Carbons are promising electrolytes and electrodes, respectively. RTILs have been shown to be stable at up to twice the voltage of organic solvent-salt systems currently employed in supercapacitors, and CDCs are tunable in pore structure, show good electrical conductivity, and superior demonstrated capability as electrode material. This work aims to better understand the interplay of electrode and electrolyte parameters, such as pore structure and ion size, in the ultimate performance of RTIL-based supercapacitors in terms of power, energy, and temperature of operation. For this purpose, carbon nanomaterials such as nanoporous CDC nanopowders, vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays, and single wall carbon nanotube aerogels, were synthesized and used as electrodes, alongside RTIL electrolytes with systematically varying ion sizes and compositions. While electrode/electrolyte development can take place along parallel lines, both must be properly matched to the device's ultimate operating conditions and specific application. The resulting devices exhibit good performance characteristics, and the best temperature range of any electrochemical storage device to date.

Wearable carbon nanotube based dry-electrodes for electrophysiological sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Byeong-Cheol; Ha, Tae-Jun

2018-05-01

In this paper, we demonstrate all-solution-processed carbon nanotube (CNT) dry-electrodes for the detection of electrophysiological signals such as electrocardiograms (ECG) and electromyograms (EMG). The key parameters of P, Q, R, S, and T peaks are successfully extracted by such CNT based dry-electrodes, which is comparable with conventional silver/chloride (Ag/AgCl) wet-electrodes with a conducting gel film for the ECG recording. Furthermore, the sensing performance of CNT based dry-electrodes is secured during the bending test of 200 cycles, which is essential for wearable electrophysiological sensors in a non-invasive method on human skin. We also investigate the application of wearable CNT based dry-electrodes directly attached to the human skins such as forearm for sensing the electrophysiological signals. The accurate and rapid sensing response can be achieved by CNT based dry-electrodes to supervise the health condition affected by excessive physical movements during the real-time measurements.

Construction and performance evaluation of mediator-less microbial fuel cell using carbon nanotubes as an anode material.

PubMed

Roh, Sung-Hee; Kim, Sun-Il

2012-05-01

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy using the catalytic reaction of microorganisms. We investigated the performance of mediator-less MFC with carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/graphite felt composite electrodes. The addition of CNTs to a graphite felt electrode increases the specific surface area of the electrode and enhances the charge transfer capability so as to cause considerable improvement of the electrochemical activity for the anode reaction in a MFC. The performance of the MFC using CNTs/graphite felt electrode has been compared against a plain graphite felt electrode based MFC. A CNTs/graphite felt electrode showed as high as 15% increase in the power density (252 mW/m2) compared to graphite felt electrode (214 mW/m2). The CNTs/graphite felt anode therefore offers good prospects for application in MFCs.

Micromachined electrode array

DOEpatents

Okandan, Murat; Wessendorf, Kurt O.

2007-12-11

An electrode array is disclosed which has applications for neural stimulation and sensing. The electrode array, in certain embodiments, can include a plurality of electrodes each of which is flexibly attached to a common substrate using a plurality of springs to allow the electrodes to move independently. In other embodiments of the electrode array, the electrodes can be fixed to the substrate. The electrode array can be formed from a combination of bulk and surface micromachining, and can include electrode tips having an electroplated metal (e.g. platinum, iridium, gold or titanium) or a metal oxide (e.g. iridium oxide) for biocompatibility. The electrode array can be used to form a part of a neural prosthesis, and is particularly well adapted for use in an implantable retinal prosthesis.

A novel method of fabricating carbon nanotubes-polydimethylsiloxane composite electrodes for electrocardiography.

PubMed

Liu, Benyan; Chen, Yingmin; Luo, Zhangyuan; Zhang, Wenzan; Tu, Quan; Jin, Xun

2015-01-01

Polymer-based flexible electrodes are receiving much attention in medical applications due to their good wearing comfort. The current fabrication methods of such electrodes are not widely applied. In this study, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and conductive additives of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were employed to fabricate composite electrodes for electrocardiography (ECG). A three-step dispersion process consisting of ultrasonication, stirring, and in situ polymerization was developed to yield homogenous CNTs-PDMS mixtures. The CNTs-PDMS mixtures were used to fabricate CNTs-PDMS composite electrodes by replica technology. The influence of ultrasonication time and CNT concentration on polymer electrode performance was evaluated by impedance and ECG measurements. The signal amplitude of the electrodes prepared using an ultrasonication time of 12 h and CNT content of 5 wt% was comparable to that of commercial Ag/AgCl electrodes. The polymer electrodes were easily fabricated by conventional manufacturing techniques, indicating a potential advantage of reduced cost for mass production.

All-Organic Actuator Fabricated with Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Electrodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowther, Sharon E.; Harrison, Joycelyn S.; Kang, Jinho; Park, Cheol; Park, Chan Eon

2008-01-01

Compliant electrodes to replace conventional metal electrodes have been required for many actuators to relieve the constraint on the electroactive layer. Many conducting polymers have been proposed for the alternative electrodes, but they still have a problem of poor thermal stability. This article reports a novel all-organic actuator with single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films as the alternative electrode. The SWCNT film was obtained by filtering a SWCNT solution through an anodized alumina membrane. The conductivity of the SWCNT film was about 280 S/cm. The performance of the SWCNT film electrode was characterized by measuring the dielectric properties of NASA Langley Research Center - Electroactive Polymer (LaRC-EAP) sandwiched by the SWCNT electrodes over a broad range of temperature (from 25 C to 280 C) and frequency (from 1 KHz to 1 MHz). The all-organic actuator with the SWCNT electrodes showed a larger electric field-induced strain than that with metal electrodes, under identical measurement conditions.

A New Sensitive Sensor for Simultaneous Differential Pulse Voltammetric Determination of Codeine and Acetaminophen Using a Hydroquinone Derivative and Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes Carbon Paste Electrode

PubMed Central

Garazhian, Elahe; Shishehbore, M. Reza

2015-01-01

A new sensitive sensor was fabricated for simultaneous determination of codeine and acetaminophen based on 4-hydroxy-2-(triphenylphosphonio)phenolate (HTP) and multiwall carbon nanotubes paste electrode at trace levels. The sensitivity of codeine determination was deeply affected by spiking multiwall carbon nanotubes and a modifier in carbon paste. Electron transfer coefficient, α, catalytic electron rate constant, k, and the exchange current density, j 0, for oxidation of codeine at the HTP-MWCNT-CPE were calculated using cyclic voltammetry. The calibration curve was linear over the range 0.2–844.7 μM with two linear segments, and the detection limit of 0.063 μM of codeine was obtained using differential pulse voltammetry. The modified electrode was separated codeine and acetaminophen signals by differential pulse voltammetry. The modified electrode was applied for the determination of codeine and acetaminophen in biological and pharmaceutical samples with satisfactory results. PMID:25945094

Aligned carbon nanotube/zinc oxide nanowire hybrids as high performance electrodes for supercapacitor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Asadi, Ahmed S.; Henley, Luke Alexander; Wasala, Milinda; Muchharla, Baleeswaraiah; Perea-Lopez, Nestor; Carozo, Victor; Lin, Zhong; Terrones, Mauricio; Mondal, Kanchan; Kordas, Krisztian; Talapatra, Saikat

2017-03-01

Carbon nanotube/metal oxide based hybrids are envisioned as high performance electrochemical energy storage electrodes since these systems can provide improved performances utilizing an electric double layer coupled with fast faradaic pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanisms. In this work, we show that high performance supercapacitor electrodes with a specific capacitance of ˜192 F/g along with a maximum energy density of ˜3.8 W h/kg and a power density of ˜ 28 kW/kg can be achieved by synthesizing zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) directly on top of aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). In comparison to pristine MWCNTs, these constitute a 12-fold of increase in specific capacitance as well as corresponding power and energy density values. These electrodes also possess high cycling stability and were able to retain ˜99% of their specific capacitance value over 2000 charging discharging cycles. These findings indicate potential use of a MWCNT/ZnO NW hybrid material for future electrochemical energy storage applications.

Electrochemically active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic frameworks on carbon nanotubes for synergistic lithium-ion battery energy storage

PubMed Central

Xu, Fei; Jin, Shangbin; Zhong, Hui; Wu, Dingcai; Yang, Xiaoqing; Chen, Xiong; Wei, Hao; Fu, Ruowen; Jiang, Donglin

2015-01-01

Organic batteries free of toxic metal species could lead to a new generation of consumer energy storage devices that are safe and environmentally benign. However, the conventional organic electrodes remain problematic because of their structural instability, slow ion-diffusion dynamics, and poor electrical conductivity. Here, we report on the development of a redox-active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic framework (COF) on carbon nanotubes for use as electrodes; the electrode stability is enhanced by the covalent network, the ion transport is facilitated by the open meso-channels, and the electron conductivity is boosted by the carbon nanotube wires. These effects work synergistically for the storage of energy and provide lithium-ion batteries with high efficiency, robust cycle stability, and high rate capability. Our results suggest that redox-active COFs on conducting carbons could serve as a unique platform for energy storage and may facilitate the design of new organic electrodes for high-performance and environmentally benign battery devices. PMID:25650133

Direct Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters on Metal Substrate for Open-Type X-ray Source in Medical Imaging.

PubMed

Gupta, Amar Prasad; Park, Sangjun; Yeo, Seung Jun; Jung, Jaeik; Cho, Chonggil; Paik, Sang Hyun; Park, Hunkuk; Cho, Young Chul; Kim, Seung Hoon; Shin, Ji Hoon; Ahn, Jeung Sun; Ryu, Jehwang

2017-07-29

We report the design, fabrication and characterization of a carbon nanotube enabled open-type X-ray system for medical imaging. We directly grew the carbon nanotubes used as electron emitter for electron gun on a non-polished raw metallic rectangular-rounded substrate with an area of 0.1377 cm² through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The stable field emission properties with triode electrodes after electrical aging treatment showed an anode emission current of 0.63 mA at a gate field of 7.51 V/μm. The 4.5-inch cubic shape open type X-ray system was developed consisting of an X-ray aperture, a vacuum part, an anode high voltage part, and a field emission electron gun including three electrodes with focusing, gate and cathode electrodes. Using this system, we obtained high-resolution X-ray images accelerated at 42-70 kV voltage by digital switching control between emitter and ground electrode.

Direct Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube Field Emitters on Metal Substrate for Open-Type X-ray Source in Medical Imaging

PubMed Central

Gupta, Amar Prasad; Park, Sangjun; Yeo, Seung Jun; Jung, Jaeik; Cho, Chonggil; Paik, Sang Hyun; Park, Hunkuk; Cho, Young Chul; Kim, Seung Hoon; Shin, Ji Hoon; Ahn, Jeung Sun; Ryu, Jehwang

2017-01-01

We report the design, fabrication and characterization of a carbon nanotube enabled open-type X-ray system for medical imaging. We directly grew the carbon nanotubes used as electron emitter for electron gun on a non-polished raw metallic rectangular-rounded substrate with an area of 0.1377 cm2 through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The stable field emission properties with triode electrodes after electrical aging treatment showed an anode emission current of 0.63 mA at a gate field of 7.51 V/μm. The 4.5-inch cubic shape open type X-ray system was developed consisting of an X-ray aperture, a vacuum part, an anode high voltage part, and a field emission electron gun including three electrodes with focusing, gate and cathode electrodes. Using this system, we obtained high-resolution X-ray images accelerated at 42–70 kV voltage by digital switching control between emitter and ground electrode. PMID:28773237

Electrochemically active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic frameworks on carbon nanotubes for synergistic lithium-ion battery energy storage.

PubMed

Xu, Fei; Jin, Shangbin; Zhong, Hui; Wu, Dingcai; Yang, Xiaoqing; Chen, Xiong; Wei, Hao; Fu, Ruowen; Jiang, Donglin

2015-02-04

Organic batteries free of toxic metal species could lead to a new generation of consumer energy storage devices that are safe and environmentally benign. However, the conventional organic electrodes remain problematic because of their structural instability, slow ion-diffusion dynamics, and poor electrical conductivity. Here, we report on the development of a redox-active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic framework (COF) on carbon nanotubes for use as electrodes; the electrode stability is enhanced by the covalent network, the ion transport is facilitated by the open meso-channels, and the electron conductivity is boosted by the carbon nanotube wires. These effects work synergistically for the storage of energy and provide lithium-ion batteries with high efficiency, robust cycle stability, and high rate capability. Our results suggest that redox-active COFs on conducting carbons could serve as a unique platform for energy storage and may facilitate the design of new organic electrodes for high-performance and environmentally benign battery devices.

Evaluation of the shear force of single cancer cells by vertically aligned carbon nanotubes suitable for metastasis diagnosis.

PubMed

Abdolahad, M; Mohajerzadeh, S; Janmaleki, M; Taghinejad, H; Taghinejad, M

2013-03-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays have been demonstrated as probes for rapid quantifying of cancer cell deformability with high resolution. Through entrapment of various cancer cells on CNT arrays, the deflections of the nanotubes during cell deformation were used to derive the lateral cell shear force using a large deflection mode method. It is observed that VACNT beams act as sensitive and flexible agents, which transfer the shear force of cells trapped on them by an observable deflection. The metastatic cancer cells have significant deformable structures leading to a further cell traction force (CTF) than primary cancerous one on CNT arrays. The elasticity of different cells could be compared by their CTF measurement on CNT arrays. This study presents a nanotube-based methodology for quantifying the single cell mechanical behavior, which could be useful for understanding the metastatic behavior of cells.

Carbon Nanotube-Based Structural Health Monitoring Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Russell; Jordan, Jeffrey; Oglesby, Donald; Watkins, Anthony; Patry, JoAnne; Smits, Jan; Williams, Phillip

2011-01-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) can be embedded in structures of all geometries to monitor conditions both inside and at the surface of the structure to continuously sense changes. These CNTs can be manipulated into specific orientations to create small, powerful, and flexible sensors. One of the sensors is a highly flexible sensor for crack growth detection and strain field mapping that features a very dense and highly ordered array of single-walled CNTs. CNT structural health sensors can be mass-produced, are inexpensive, can be packaged in small sizes (0.5 micron(sup 2)), require less power than electronic or piezoelectric transducers, and produce less waste heat per square centimeter than electronic or piezoelectric transducers. Chemically functionalized lithographic patterns are used to deposit and align the CNTs onto metallic electrodes. This method consistently produces aligned CNTs in the defined locations. Using photo- and electron-beam lithography, simple Cr/Au thin-film circuits are patterned onto oxidized silicon substrates. The samples are then re-patterned with a CNT-attracting, self-assembled monolayer of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to delineate the desired CNT locations between electrodes. During the deposition of the solution-suspended single- wall CNTs, the application of an electric field to the metallic contacts causes alignment of the CNTs along the field direction. This innovation is a prime candidate for smart skin technologies with applications ranging from military, to aerospace, to private industry.

Carbon nanotube-graphene composite for ionic polymer actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Woosung; Choi, Hyonkwang; Choi, Suho; Jeon, Minhyon; Lee, Seung-Yop

2012-05-01

In this paper, we develop a new ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) by replacing a typical platinum or gold electrode with a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)-graphene based electrode. A solvent of MWNT and graphene is formed on both sides of the ionic polymer membranes as electrodes by means of spray coating and baking. Then, the ionic liquid process is performed for actuating in air. The four kinds of IPMC samples with different MWNT-graphene ratios are fabricated with the same solid Nafion film. Experimental results show that the IPMC with a pure MWNT based electrode exhibits higher displacement compared to the conventional IPMC with a platinum electrode. Also, the increment of the ratio of graphene to the MWNT-graphene electrode decreases the resultant displacement but increases the fundamental natural frequency of the polymer actuator.

Directly Grown Nanostructured Electrodes for High Volumetric Energy Density Binder-Free Hybrid Supercapacitors: A Case Study of CNTs//Li4Ti5O12

PubMed Central

Zuo, Wenhua; Wang, Chong; Li, Yuanyuan; Liu, Jinping

2015-01-01

Hybrid supercapacitor (HSC), which typically consists of a Li-ion battery electrode and an electric double-layer supercapacitor electrode, has been extensively investigated for large-scale applications such as hybrid electric vehicles, etc. Its application potential for thin-film downsized energy storage systems that always prefer high volumetric energy/power densities, however, has not yet been explored. Herein, as a case study, we develop an entirely binder-free HSC by using multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) network film as the cathode and Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) nanowire array as the anode and study the volumetric energy storage capability. Both the electrode materials are grown directly on carbon cloth current collector, ensuring robust mechanical/electrical contacts and flexibility. Our 3 V HSC device exhibits maximum volumetric energy density of ~4.38 mWh cm−3, much superior to those of previous supercapacitors based on thin-film electrodes fabricated directly on carbon cloth and even comparable to the commercial thin-film lithium battery. It also has volumetric power densities comparable to that of the commercial 5.5 V/100 mF supercapacitor (can be operated within 3 s) and has excellent cycling stability (~92% retention after 3000 cycles). The concept of utilizing binder-free electrodes to construct HSC for thin-film energy storage may be readily extended to other HSC electrode systems. PMID:25586374

Self-Consistent Physical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes in Composite Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pipes, R. B.; Frankland, S. J. V.; Hubert, P.; Saether, E.; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A set of relationships is developed for selected physical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCN) and their hexagonal arrays as a function of nanotube size in terms of the chiral vector integer pair, (n,m). Properties include density, principal Young's modulus, and specific Young's modulus. Relationships between weight fraction and volume fraction of SWCN and their arrays are developed for polymeric mixtures.

Uniform, dense arrays of vertically aligned, large-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Han, Zhao Jun; Ostrikov, Kostya

2012-04-04

Precisely controlled reactive chemical vapor synthesis of highly uniform, dense arrays of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using tailored trilayered Fe/Al(2)O(3)/SiO(2) catalyst is demonstrated. More than 90% population of thick nanotubes (>3 nm in diameter) can be produced by tailoring the thickness and microstructure of the secondary catalyst supporting SiO(2) layer, which is commonly overlooked. The proposed model based on the atomic force microanalysis suggests that this tailoring leads to uniform and dense arrays of relatively large Fe catalyst nanoparticles on which the thick SWCNTs nucleate, while small nanotubes and amorphous carbon are effectively etched away. Our results resolve a persistent issue of selective (while avoiding multiwalled nanotubes and other carbon nanostructures) synthesis of thick vertically aligned SWCNTs whose easily switchable thickness-dependent electronic properties enable advanced applications in nanoelectronic, energy, drug delivery, and membrane technologies.

Effects of proton irradiation on structural and electrochemical charge storage properties of TiO 2 nanotube electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Smith, Kassiopeia A.; Savva, Andreas I.; Deng, Changjian; ...

2017-03-23

The effects of proton irradiation on nanostructured metal oxides have been investigated. Recent studies suggest that the presence of structural defects (e.g. vacancies and interstitials) in metal oxides may enhance the material's electrochemical charge storage capacity. A new approach to introduce defects in electrode materials is to use ion irradiation as it can produce a supersaturation of point defects in the target material. In this work we report the effect of low-energy proton irradiation on amorphous TiO 2 nanotube electrodes at both room temperature and high temperature (250 °C). Upon room temperature irradiation the nanotubes demonstrate an irradiation-induced phase transformationmore » to a mixture of amorphous, anatase, and rutile domains while showing a 35% reduction in capacity compared to anatase TiO 2. On the other hand, the high temperature proton irradiation induced a disordered rutile phase within the nanotubes as characterized by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, which displays an improved capacity by 20% at ~240 mA h g –1 as well as improved rate capability compared to an unirradiated anatase sample. Voltammetric sweep data were used to determine the contributions from diffusion-limited intercalation and capacitive processes and it was found that the electrodes after irradiation had more contributions from diffusion in lithium charge storage. Finally, our work suggests that tailoring the defect generation through ion irradiation within metal oxide electrodes could present a new avenue for designing advanced electrode materials.« less

Effects of proton irradiation on structural and electrochemical charge storage properties of TiO 2 nanotube electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Kassiopeia A.; Savva, Andreas I.; Deng, Changjian

The effects of proton irradiation on nanostructured metal oxides have been investigated. Recent studies suggest that the presence of structural defects (e.g. vacancies and interstitials) in metal oxides may enhance the material's electrochemical charge storage capacity. A new approach to introduce defects in electrode materials is to use ion irradiation as it can produce a supersaturation of point defects in the target material. In this work we report the effect of low-energy proton irradiation on amorphous TiO 2 nanotube electrodes at both room temperature and high temperature (250 °C). Upon room temperature irradiation the nanotubes demonstrate an irradiation-induced phase transformationmore » to a mixture of amorphous, anatase, and rutile domains while showing a 35% reduction in capacity compared to anatase TiO 2. On the other hand, the high temperature proton irradiation induced a disordered rutile phase within the nanotubes as characterized by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy, which displays an improved capacity by 20% at ~240 mA h g –1 as well as improved rate capability compared to an unirradiated anatase sample. Voltammetric sweep data were used to determine the contributions from diffusion-limited intercalation and capacitive processes and it was found that the electrodes after irradiation had more contributions from diffusion in lithium charge storage. Finally, our work suggests that tailoring the defect generation through ion irradiation within metal oxide electrodes could present a new avenue for designing advanced electrode materials.« less

A Novel of Multi-wall Carbon Nanotubes/Chitosan Electrochemical Sensor for Determination of Cupric ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Funeng; Li, Lei

2018-03-01

A multi-wall carbon nanotubes/Chitosan electrochemical sensor had been fabricated by dropping CHS/MWNT solution directly onto the GC surface. The sensor was charactered by cyclic voltammetry and AC impedance with K3Fe(CN)6 as a electrochemical probe; Cyclic voltammograms(CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) indicated that the active area and electrochemical behavior of the sensor increased and improved significantly after the electrode was modified by carbon nanotubes dispersed by the chitosan. The sensor showed good electrocatalytic activity of K3Fe(CN)6. Also, from the cyclic voltammograms, we can see the process was diffusion controlled on the bare electrode and kinetics and diffusion controlled on the modified electrode. Finally Cu2+ responsed sensitively at the sensor which supplied a new method for the detection of Cu2+.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes as anode and air-cathode in single chamber microbial fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amade, R.; Moreno, H. A.; Hussain, S.; Vila-Costa, M.; Bertran, E.

2016-10-01

Electrode optimization in microbial fuel cells is a key issue to improve the power output and cell performance. Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) grown on low cost stainless-steel mesh present an attractive approach to increase the cell performance while avoiding the use of expensive Pt-based materials. In comparison with non-aligned carbon nanotubes (NACNTs), VACNTs increase the oxygen reduction reaction taking place at the cathode by a factor of two. In addition, vertical alignment also increases the power density up to 2.5 times with respect to NACNTs. VACNTs grown at the anode can further improve the cell performance by increasing the electrode surface area and thus the electron transfer between bacteria and the electrode. The maximum power density obtained using VACNTs was 14 mW/m2 and 160 mV output voltage.

Foldable interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks/carbon nanotubes thin film for lithium-sulfur batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Yiyin; Li, Gaoran; Guo, Yi; Li, Zhoupeng; Liang, Chengdu; Peng, Xinsheng; Lin, Zhan

2017-03-01

Lithium-sulfur batteries are promising technologies for powering flexible devices due to their high energy density, low cost and environmental friendliness, when the insulating nature, shuttle effect and volume expansion of sulfur electrodes are well addressed. Here, we report a strategy of using foldable interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks/carbon nanotubes thin film for binder-free advanced lithium-sulfur batteries through a facile confinement conversion. The carbon nanotubes interpenetrate through the metal-organic frameworks crystal and interweave the electrode into a stratified structure to provide both conductivity and structural integrity, while the highly porous metal-organic frameworks endow the electrode with strong sulfur confinement to achieve good cyclability. These hierarchical porous interpenetrated three-dimensional conductive networks with well confined S8 lead to high sulfur loading and utilization, as well as high volumetric energy density.

Foldable interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks/carbon nanotubes thin film for lithium–sulfur batteries

PubMed Central

Mao, Yiyin; Li, Gaoran; Guo, Yi; Li, Zhoupeng; Liang, Chengdu; Peng, Xinsheng; Lin, Zhan

2017-01-01

Lithium–sulfur batteries are promising technologies for powering flexible devices due to their high energy density, low cost and environmental friendliness, when the insulating nature, shuttle effect and volume expansion of sulfur electrodes are well addressed. Here, we report a strategy of using foldable interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks/carbon nanotubes thin film for binder-free advanced lithium–sulfur batteries through a facile confinement conversion. The carbon nanotubes interpenetrate through the metal-organic frameworks crystal and interweave the electrode into a stratified structure to provide both conductivity and structural integrity, while the highly porous metal-organic frameworks endow the electrode with strong sulfur confinement to achieve good cyclability. These hierarchical porous interpenetrated three-dimensional conductive networks with well confined S8 lead to high sulfur loading and utilization, as well as high volumetric energy density. PMID:28262801

Electrochemical sensor for terbutaline sulfate based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with grapheme and multi-walled carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhou; Hua, Xin; Pei, Hongying; Shen, Yuan; Shen, Guijun

2017-12-01

A glass carbon electrode was prepared that coated with a composite film containing grapheme and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. It was used to study the electrochemical response of terbutaline sulfate. Under the optimized conditions, the oxidation peak current was found to be proportional to its concentration in the range of 0.2-5 μmol·L-1 and 5-40 μmol·L-1).Compared with the bare GC electrode, the GN-MWNTs-modified GC (GN-MWNTs/GC) had many advantages such as relatively high sensitivity, good stability and long life time. The modified electrode was used to determine the TES tablets with satisfactory results.

Amperometric biosensor based on glassy carbon electrode modified with long-length carbon nanotube and enzyme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furutaka, Hajime; Nemoto, Kentaro; Inoue, Yuki; Hidaka, Hiroki; Muguruma, Hitoshi; Inoue, Hitoshi; Ohsawa, Tatsuya

2016-05-01

An amperometric biosensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with long-length multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and enzyme nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) is presented. We demonstrate the effect of the MWCNT length on the amperometric response of the enzyme biosensor. The long length of MWCNT is 200 µm (average), whereas the normal length of MWCNT is 1 µm (average). The response of the long MWCNT-GDH electrode is 2 times more sensitive than that of the normal-length MWCNT-GDH electrode in the concentration range from 0.25-35 mM. The result of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements suggest that the long-length MWCNT-GDH electrode formed a better electron transfer network than the normal-length one.

Planar silver nanowire, carbon nanotube and PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite transparent electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stapleton, Andrew J.; Yambem, Soniya D.; Johns, Ashley H.; Afre, Rakesh A.; Ellis, Amanda V.; Shapter, Joe G.; Andersson, Gunther G.; Quinton, Jamie S.; Burn, Paul L.; Meredith, Paul; Lewis, David A.

2015-04-01

Highly conductive, transparent and flexible planar electrodes were fabricated using interwoven silver nanowires and single-walled carbon nanotubes (AgNW:SWCNT) in a PEDOT:PSS matrix via an epoxy transfer method from a silicon template. The planar electrodes achieved a sheet resistance of 6.6 ± 0.0 Ω/□ and an average transmission of 86% between 400 and 800 nm. A high figure of merit of 367 Ω-1 is reported for the electrodes, which is much higher than that measured for indium tin oxide and reported for other AgNW composites. The AgNW:SWCNT:PEDOT:PSS electrode was used to fabricate low temperature (annealing free) devices demonstrating their potential to function with a range of organic semiconducting polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction blend systems.

Planar silver nanowire, carbon nanotube and PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite transparent electrodes

PubMed Central

Stapleton, Andrew J; Yambem, Soniya D; Johns, Ashley H; Afre, Rakesh A; Ellis, Amanda V; Shapter, Joe G; Andersson, Gunther G; Quinton, Jamie S; Burn, Paul L; Meredith, Paul

2015-01-01

Highly conductive, transparent and flexible planar electrodes were fabricated using interwoven silver nanowires and single-walled carbon nanotubes (AgNW:SWCNT) in a PEDOT:PSS matrix via an epoxy transfer method from a silicon template. The planar electrodes achieved a sheet resistance of 6.6 ± 0.0 Ω/□ and an average transmission of 86% between 400 and 800 nm. A high figure of merit of 367 Ω−1 is reported for the electrodes, which is much higher than that measured for indium tin oxide and reported for other AgNW composites. The AgNW:SWCNT:PEDOT:PSS electrode was used to fabricate low temperature (annealing free) devices demonstrating their potential to function with a range of organic semiconducting polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunction blend systems. PMID:27877771

Vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes on aluminum as a light-weight positive electrode for lithium-polysulfide batteries.

PubMed

Liatard, S; Benhamouda, K; Fournier, A; Ramos, R; Barchasz, C; Dijon, J

2015-05-04

A light-weight, high specific surface current collector made of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes grown on an aluminum substrate was fabricated and studied as a positive electrode in a semi-liquid lithium/polysulfide battery. This simple system delivered stable capacities over 1000 mA h gS(-1) and 2 mA h cm(-2) with almost no capacity loss over 50 cycles.

Ultra High Energy Density Cathodes with Carbon Nanotubes

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-10

a) Carbon nanotube paper coated with NCA cathode composite for testing as positive electrode in Li-ion battery (b) Comparison of NCA specific...received and purified CNT electrodes coated with NCA cathode composite. (b) Discharge capacities as a function of rate and cycle for NCA on Al and...thickness increases. The first approach was to cast SOA NCA cathode composites onto CNT current collectors using an adjustable blade coater. The

Performance improvement in PEMFC using aligned carbon nanotubes as electrode catalyst support.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, D. J.; Yang, J.; Kariuki, N.

2008-01-01

A novel membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using aligned carbon nanotubes (ACNT) as the electrocatalyst support was developed for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) application. A multiple-step process of preparing ACNT-PEMFC including ACNT layer growth and catalyzing, MEA fabrication, and single cell packaging is reported. Single cell polarization studies demonstrated improved fuel utilization and higher power density in comparison with the conventional, ink based MEA.

Nanotubular MnO2/graphene oxide composites for the application of open air-breathing cathode microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Gnana Kumar, G; Awan, Zahoor; Suk Nahm, Kee; Xavier, J Stanley

2014-03-15

Nanotubular shaped α-MnO2/graphene oxide nanocomposites were synthesized via a simple, cost and time efficient hydrothermal method. The growth of hollow structured MnO2 nanotubes preferentially occurred along the [001] direction as evidenced from the morphological and structural characterizations. The tunnels of α-MnO2 nanotubes easily accommodated the molecular oxygen and exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction over the rod structure and was further enhanced with the effective carbon support graphene oxide. The MnO2 nanotubes/graphene oxide nanocomposite modified electrode exhibited a maximum power density of 3359 mW m(-2) which is 7.8 fold higher than that of unmodified electrode and comparable with the Pt/C modified electrode. The microbial fuel cell equipped with MnO2 nanotubes/graphene oxide nanocomposite modified cathode exhibited quick start up and excellent durability over the studied electrodes and is attributed to the high surface area and number of active sites. These findings not only provide the fundamental studies on carbon supported low-dimensional transition-metal oxides but also open up the new possibilities of their applications in green energy devices. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrode array for neural stimulation

DOEpatents

Wessendorf, Kurt O [Albuquerque, NM; Okandan, Murat [Edgewood, NM; Stein, David J [Albuquerque, NM; Yang, Pin [Albuquerque, NM; Cesarano, III, Joseph; Dellinger, Jennifer [Albuquerque, NM

2011-08-16

An electrode array for neural stimulation is disclosed which has particular applications for use in a retinal prosthesis. The electrode array can be formed as a hermetically-sealed two-part ceramic package which includes an electronic circuit such as a demultiplexer circuit encapsulated therein. A relatively large number (up to 1000 or more) of individually-addressable electrodes are provided on a curved surface of a ceramic base portion the electrode array, while a much smaller number of electrical connections are provided on a ceramic lid of the electrode array. The base and lid can be attached using a metal-to-metal seal formed by laser brazing. Electrical connections to the electrode array can be provided by a flexible ribbon cable which can also be used to secure the electrode array in place.

Betavoltaic effect in titanium dioxide nanotube arrays under build-in potential difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Chen, Ranbin; San, Haisheng; Liu, Guohua; Wang, Kaiying

2015-05-01

We report the fabrication of sandwich-type metal/TiO2 nanotube (TNT) array/metal structures as well as their betavoltaic effects under build-in voltage through contact potential difference. The sandwiched structure is integrated by immobilized TNT arrays on Ti foil with radioisotope 63Ni planar source on Ni substrate (Ni-63Ni/TNT array/Ti). Under irradiation of the 63Ni source with activity of 8 mCi, the structure (TNT diameter ∼ 130 nm, length ∼ 11 μm) presents optimum energy conversion efficiency of 7.30% with open-circuit voltage of 1.54 V and short-circuit current of 12.43 nA. The TNT arrays exhibit a highly potential for developing betavoltaic batteries due to its wide band gap and nanotube array configuration. The TNT-betavoltaic concept offers a facile solution for micro/nano electronics with high efficiency and long life-time instead of conventional planar junction-type batteries.

Carbon nanotube-based sensor and method for detection of crack growth in a structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smits, Jan M. (Inventor); Moore, Thomas C. (Inventor); Kite, Marlen T. (Inventor); Wincheski, Russell A. (Inventor); Ingram, JoAnne L. (Inventor); Watkins, Anthony N. (Inventor); Williams, Phillip A. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A sensor has a plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based conductors operatively positioned on a substrate. The conductors are arranged side-by-side, such as in a substantially parallel relationship to one another. At least one pair of spaced-apart electrodes is coupled to opposing ends of the conductors. A portion of each of the conductors spanning between each pair of electrodes comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes arranged end-to-end and substantially aligned along an axis. Because a direct correlation exists between the resistance of a carbon nanotube and its strain, changes experienced by the portion of the structure to which the sensor is coupled induce a corresponding change in the electrical properties of the conductors, thereby enabling detection of crack growth in the structure.

Arrays of horizontal carbon nanotubes of controlled chirality grown using designed catalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuchen; Kang, Lixing; Wang, Xiao; Tong, Lianming; Yang, Liangwei; Wang, Zequn; Qi, Kuo; Deng, Shibin; Li, Qingwen; Bai, Xuedong; Ding, Feng; Zhang, Jin

2017-02-01

The semiconductor industry is increasingly of the view that Moore’s law—which predicts the biennial doubling of the number of transistors per microprocessor chip—is nearing its end. Consequently, the pursuit of alternative semiconducting materials for nanoelectronic devices, including single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), continues. Arrays of horizontal nanotubes are particularly appealing for technological applications because they optimize current output. However, the direct growth of horizontal SWNT arrays with controlled chirality, that would enable the arrays to be adapted for a wider range of applications and ensure the uniformity of the fabricated devices, has not yet been achieved. Here we show that horizontal SWNT arrays with predicted chirality can be grown from the surfaces of solid carbide catalysts by controlling the symmetries of the active catalyst surface. We obtained horizontally aligned metallic SWNT arrays with an average density of more than 20 tubes per micrometre in which 90 per cent of the tubes had chiral indices of (12, 6), and semiconducting SWNT arrays with an average density of more than 10 tubes per micrometre in which 80 per cent of the nanotubes had chiral indices of (8, 4). The nanotubes were grown using uniform size Mo2C and WC solid catalysts. Thermodynamically, the SWNT was selectively nucleated by matching its structural symmetry and diameter with those of the catalyst. We grew nanotubes with chiral indices of (2m, m) (where m is a positive integer), the yield of which could be increased by raising the concentration of carbon to maximize the kinetic growth rate in the chemical vapour deposition process. Compared to previously reported methods, such as cloning, seeding and specific-structure-matching growth, our strategy of controlling the thermodynamics and kinetics offers more degrees of freedom, enabling the chirality of as-grown SWNTs in an array to be tuned, and can also be used to predict the growth conditions required to achieve the desired chiralities.

Visible diffraction from quasi-crystalline arrays of carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Timothy P.; Butt, Haider; Wilkinson, Timothy D.; Amaratunga, Gehan A. J.

2015-08-01

Large area arrays of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) are patterned in a quasi-crystalline Penrose tile arrangement through electron beam lithography definition of Ni catalyst dots and subsequent nanotube growth by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. When illuminated with a 532 nm laser beam high-quality and remarkable diffraction patterns are seen. The diffraction is well matched to theoretical calculations which assume apertures to be present at the location of the VACNTs for transmitted light. The results show that VACNTs act as diffractive elements in reflection and can be used as spatially phased arrays for producing tailored diffraction patterns.

Highly efficient and completely flexible fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cell based on TiO2 nanotube array.

PubMed

Lv, Zhibin; Yu, Jiefeng; Wu, Hongwei; Shang, Jian; Wang, Dan; Hou, Shaocong; Fu, Yongping; Wu, Kai; Zou, Dechun

2012-02-21

A type of highly efficient completely flexible fiber-shaped solar cell based on TiO(2) nanotube array is successfully prepared. Under air mass 1.5G (100 mW cm(-2)) illumination conditions, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell approaches 7%, the highest among all fiber-shaped cells based on TiO(2) nanotube arrays and the first completely flexible fiber-shaped DSSC. The fiber-shaped solar cell demonstrates good flexibility, which makes it suitable for modularization using weaving technologies. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Covalently functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene composite electrodes for pseudocapacitor application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Barny, Pierre; Servet, Bernard; Campidelli, Stéphane; Bondavalli, Paolo; Galindo, Christophe

2013-09-01

The use of carbon-based materials in electrochemical double-layer supercapacitors (EDLC) is currently being the focus of much research. Even though activated carbon (AC) is the state of the art electrode material, AC suffers from some drawbacks including its limited electrical conductivity, the need for a binder to ensure the expected electrode cohesion and its limited accessibility of its pores to solvated ions of the electrolyte. Owing to their unique physical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene could overcome these drawbacks. It has been demonstrated that high specific capacitance could be obtained when the carbon accessible surface area of the electrode was finely tailored by using graphene combined with other carbonaceous nanoparticles such as CNTs12.In this work, to further increase the specific capacitance of the electrode, we have covalently grafted onto the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), exfoliated graphite or graphene oxide (GO), anthraquinone (AQ) derivatives which are electrochemically active materials. The modified SWCNTs and graphene-like materials have been characterized by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission and cyclic voltammetry . Then suspensions based on mixtures of modified SWCNTs and modified graphene-like materials have been prepared and transformed into electrodes either by spray coating or by filtration. These electrodes have been characterized by SEM and by cyclic voltammetry in 0.1M H2S04 electrolyte.

Conical islands of TiO2 nanotube arrays in the photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Kim, Woong-Rae; Park, Hun; Choi, Won-Youl

2015-01-01

Ti conical island structures were fabricated using photolithography and the reactive ion etching method. The resulting conical island structures were anodized in ethylene glycol solution containing 0.25 wt% NH4F and 2 vol% H2O, and conical islands composed of TiO2 nanotubes were successfully formed on the Ti foils. The conical islands composed of TiO2 nanotubes were employed in photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). DSC photoelectrodes based on planar Ti structures covered with TiO2 nanotubes were also fabricated as a reference. The short-circuit current (J sc) and efficiency of DSCs based on the conical island structures were higher than those of the reference samples. The efficiency of DSCs based on the conical island structures reached up to 1.866%. From electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open-circuit voltage (V oc) decay measurements, DSCs based on the conical island structures exhibited a lower charge transfer resistance at the counter cathode and a longer electron lifetime at the interface of the photoelectrode and electrolyte compared to the reference samples. The conical island structure was very effective at improving performances of DSCs based on TiO2 nanotubes. Graphical AbstractConical islands of TiO2 nanotube arrays are fabricated by an anodizing process with Ti protruding dots which have a conical shape. The conical islands are applied for use in DSC photoelectrodes. DSCs based on the conical islands of TiO2 nanotube arrays have the potential to achieve higher efficiency levels compared to DSCs based on normal TiO2 nanotubes and TiO2 nanoparticles because the conical islands of TiO2 nanotube arrays enlarge the surface area for dye adsorption.

Novel Materials, Processing and Device Technologies for Space Exploration with Potential Dual-Use Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepp, A. F.; Bailey, S. G.; McNatt, J. S.; Chandrashekhar, M. V. S.; Harris, J. D.; Rusch, A. W.; Nogales, K. A.; Goettsche, K.V.; Hanson, W.; Amos, D.;

Novel Materials, Processing, and Device Technologies for Space Exploration with Potential Dual-Use Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepp, A. F.; Bailey, S. G.; McNatt, J. S.; Chandrashekhar, M. V. S.; Harris, J. D.; Rusch, A. W.; Nogales, K. A.; Goettsche, K. V.; Hanson, W.; Amos, D.;

In vitro extracellular recording and stimulation performance of nanoporous gold-modified multi-electrode arrays.

PubMed

Kim, Yong Hee; Kim, Gook Hwa; Kim, Ah Young; Han, Young Hwan; Chung, Myung-Ae; Jung, Sang-Don

2015-12-01

Nanoporous gold (Au) structures can reduce the impedance and enhance the charge injection capability of multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) used for interfacing neuronal networks. Even though there are various nanoporous Au preparation techniques, fabrication of MEA based on low-cost electro-codeposition of Ag:Au has not been performed. In this work, we have modified a Au MEA via the electro-codeposition of Ag:Au alloy, followed by the chemical etching of Ag, and report on the in vitro extracellular recording and stimulation performance of the nanoporous Au-modified MEA. Ag:Au alloy was electro-codeposited on a bilayer lift-off resist sputter-deposition passivated Au MEA followed by chemical etching of Ag to form a porous Au structure. The porous Au structure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and tunneling electron microscopy and found to have an interconnected nanoporous Au structure. The impedance value of the nanoporous Au-modified MEA is 15.4 ± 0.55 kΩ at 1 kHz, accompanied by the base noise V rms of 2.4 ± 0.3 μV. The charge injection limit of the nanoporous Au-modified electrode estimated from voltage transient measurement is approximately 1 mC cm(-2), which is comparable to roughened platinum and carbon nanotube electrodes. The charge injection capability of the nanoporous Au-modified MEA was confirmed by observing stimulus-induced spikes at above 0.2 V. The nanoporous Au-modified MEA showed mechanical durability upon ultrasonic treatment for up to an hour. Electro-codeposition of Ag:Au alloy combined with chemical etching Ag is a low-cost process for fabricating nanoporous Au-modified MEA suitable for establishing the stimulus-response relationship of cultured neuronal networks.

In vitro extracellular recording and stimulation performance of nanoporous gold-modified multi-electrode arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yong Hee; Kim, Gook Hwa; Kim, Ah Young; Han, Young Hwan; Chung, Myung-Ae; Jung, Sang-Don

2015-12-01

Objective. Nanoporous gold (Au) structures can reduce the impedance and enhance the charge injection capability of multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) used for interfacing neuronal networks. Even though there are various nanoporous Au preparation techniques, fabrication of MEA based on low-cost electro-codeposition of Ag:Au has not been performed. In this work, we have modified a Au MEA via the electro-codeposition of Ag:Au alloy, followed by the chemical etching of Ag, and report on the in vitro extracellular recording and stimulation performance of the nanoporous Au-modified MEA. Approach. Ag:Au alloy was electro-codeposited on a bilayer lift-off resist sputter-deposition passivated Au MEA followed by chemical etching of Ag to form a porous Au structure. Main results. The porous Au structure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and tunneling electron microscopy and found to have an interconnected nanoporous Au structure. The impedance value of the nanoporous Au-modified MEA is 15.4 ± 0.55 kΩ at 1 kHz, accompanied by the base noise V rms of 2.4 ± 0.3 μV. The charge injection limit of the nanoporous Au-modified electrode estimated from voltage transient measurement is approximately 1 mC cm-2, which is comparable to roughened platinum and carbon nanotube electrodes. The charge injection capability of the nanoporous Au-modified MEA was confirmed by observing stimulus-induced spikes at above 0.2 V. The nanoporous Au-modified MEA showed mechanical durability upon ultrasonic treatment for up to an hour. Significance. Electro-codeposition of Ag:Au alloy combined with chemical etching Ag is a low-cost process for fabricating nanoporous Au-modified MEA suitable for establishing the stimulus-response relationship of cultured neuronal networks.

Design of lithium cobalt oxide electrodes with high thermal conductivity and electrochemical performance using carbon nanotubes and diamond particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Eungje; Salgado, Ruben Arash; Lee, Byeongdu

Thermal management remains one of the major challenges in the design of safe and reliable Li-ion batteries. We show that composite electrodes assembled from commercially available 100 μm long carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and LiCoO2 (LCO) particles demonstrate the in-plane thermal conductivity of 205.8 W/m*K. This value exceeds the thermal conductivity of dry conventional laminated electrodes by about three orders of magnitude. The cross-plane thermal conductivity of CNT-based electrodes is in the same range as thermal conductivities of conventional laminated electrodes. The CNT-based electrodes demonstrate a similar capacity to conventional laminated design electrodes, but revealed a better rate performance and stability.more » The introduction of diamond particles into CNT-based electrodes further improves the rate performance. Our lightweight, flexible electrode design can potentially be a general platform for fabricating polymer binder- and aluminum and copper current collector- free electrodes from a broad range of electrochemically active materials with efficient thermal management.« less

High performance carbon nanocomposites for ultracapacitors

DOEpatents

Lu, Wen

2012-10-02

The present invention relates to composite electrodes for electrochemical devices, particularly to carbon nanotube composite electrodes for high performance electrochemical devices, such as ultracapacitors.

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes/Graphite Nanosheets Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for the Simultaneous Determination of Acetaminophen and Dopamine.

PubMed

Zhang, Susu; He, Ping; Zhang, Guangli; Lei, Wen; He, Huichao

2015-01-01

Graphite nanosheets prepared by thermal expansion and successive sonication were utilized for the construction of a multi-walled carbon nanotubes/graphite nanosheets based amperometric sensing platform to simultaneously determine acetaminophen and dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid in physiological conditions. The synergistic effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphite nanosheets catalyzed the electrooxidation of acetaminophen and dopamine, leading to a remarkable potential difference up to 200 mV. The as-prepared modified electrode exhibited linear responses to acetaminophen and dopamine in the concentration ranges of 2.0 × 10(-6) - 2.4 × 10(-4) M (R = 0.999) and 2.0 × 10(-6) - 2.0 × 10(-4) M (R = 0.998), respectively. The detection limits were down to 2.3 × 10(-7) M for acetaminophen and 3.5 × 10(-7) M for dopamine (S/N = 3). Based on the simple preparation and prominent electrochemical properties, the obtained multi-walled carbon nanotubes/graphite nanosheets modified electrode would be a good candidate for the determination of acetaminophen and dopamine without the interference of ascorbic acid.

Air-bridge and Vertical CNT Switches for High Performance Switching Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaul, Anupama B.; Wong, Eric W.; Epp, Larry; Bronikowski, Michael J.; Hunt, BBrian D.

2006-01-01

Carbon nanotubes are attractive for switching applications since electrostatically-actuated CNT switches have low actuation voltages and power requirements, while allowing GHz switching speeds that stem from the inherently high elastic modulus and low mass of the CNT.Our first NEM structure, the air-bridge switch, consists of suspended single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) that lie above a sputtered Nb base electrode, where contact to the CNTs is made using evaporated Au/Ti. Electrical measurements of these air-bridge devices show well-defined ON and OFF states as a dc bias of a few volts is applied between the CNT and the Nb-base electrode. The CNT air-bridge switches were measured to have switching times down to a few nanoseconds. Our second NEM structure, the vertical CNT switch, consists of nanotubes grown perpendicular to the substrate. Vertical multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) are grown directly on a heavily doped Si substrate, from 200 - 300 nm wide, approximately 1 micrometer deep nano-pockets, with Nb metal electrodes to result in the formation of a vertical single-pole-double-throw switch architecture.

Effect of purity on the electro-optical properties of single wall nanotube-based transparent conductive electrodes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garrett, Matthew P; Ivanov, Ilia N; Geohegan, David B

2013-01-01

We present a detailed assessment of centrifugation technique for purification of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for application as transparent conductive electrodes. As- grown and highly-purified SWCNTs were dispersed in surfactants by ultrasonication, and then centrifuged to selectively remove carbonaceous and metal impurities. The centrifuged supernatant suspensions were made into thin films by transferring filtrated nanotube coat- ings onto glass slides. The absorbance and resistance of nanotube coatings were measured, and their optical purity level estimated from a comparison of the area of the near-infrared S22 SWCNT optical absorption band relative to the area of the background. The single-step centrifugationmore » process is shown to purify laser-vaporization grown SWCNTs from an initial optical purity of 0.10 to an averaged purity of 0.23, with an 8.8% yield, which is comparable to other purification techniques. The quality of transparent conductive electrodes esti- mated as a ratio of visible-spectrum absorbance to sheet conductivity is improved by a fac- tor of 12 upon purification.« less

Neutral- and Multi-Colored Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Lee, Kyu-Tae; Guo, L Jay; Park, Hui Joon

2016-04-11

In this review, we summarize recent works on perovskite solar cells with neutral- and multi-colored semitransparency for building-integrated photovoltaics and tandem solar cells. The perovskite solar cells exploiting microstructured arrays of perovskite "islands" and transparent electrodes-the latter of which include thin metallic films, metal nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphenes, and transparent conductive oxides for achieving optical transparency-are investigated. Moreover, the perovskite solar cells with distinctive color generation, which are enabled by engineering the band gap of the perovskite light-harvesting semiconductors with chemical management and integrating with photonic nanostructures, including microcavity, are discussed. We conclude by providing future research directions toward further performance improvements of the semitransparent perovskite solar cells.

A flexible touch-pressure sensor array with wireless transmission system for robotic skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ying; Fang, Ding; Wu, Can; Wang, Weihua; Guo, Xiaohui; Liu, Ping

2016-06-01

Human skin contains multiple receptors and is able to sense various stimuli such as temperature, touch, pressure, and deformation, with high sensitivity and resolution. The development of skin-like sensors capable of sensing these stimuli is of great importance for various applications such as robots, touch detection, temperature monitoring, and strain gauges. Great efforts have been made to develop high performance touch sensor and pressure sensor. Compared with general sensor, the touch-pressure sensor which is reported in this paper not only can measure large pressure but also has a high resolution in the small range so that it can feel slight touch. The sensor has a vertical structure. The upper layer is made of silicone rubber as the capacitive layer and the lower layer employs multiwall carbon nanotubes and carbon black filled silicone rubber as the resistive layer. The electrodes are made by conductive silver adhesives. In addition, the electrodes are connected to the pads on the top surface of the flexible printed circuit board by enamelled wires which made it easier to fabricate sensor array. The resolution of the touch-pressure sensor in the range of 0-10 N and 10-100 N are 0.1 N and 1 N, respectively. The experimental data of the sensor are sent by ZigBee wireless technology which reduces the complexity of the wiring and provides a convenient way to apply and maintain the sensor array.

A flexible touch-pressure sensor array with wireless transmission system for robotic skin.

PubMed

Huang, Ying; Fang, Ding; Wu, Can; Wang, Weihua; Guo, Xiaohui; Liu, Ping

2016-06-01

Human skin contains multiple receptors and is able to sense various stimuli such as temperature, touch, pressure, and deformation, with high sensitivity and resolution. The development of skin-like sensors capable of sensing these stimuli is of great importance for various applications such as robots, touch detection, temperature monitoring, and strain gauges. Great efforts have been made to develop high performance touch sensor and pressure sensor. Compared with general sensor, the touch-pressure sensor which is reported in this paper not only can measure large pressure but also has a high resolution in the small range so that it can feel slight touch. The sensor has a vertical structure. The upper layer is made of silicone rubber as the capacitive layer and the lower layer employs multiwall carbon nanotubes and carbon black filled silicone rubber as the resistive layer. The electrodes are made by conductive silver adhesives. In addition, the electrodes are connected to the pads on the top surface of the flexible printed circuit board by enamelled wires which made it easier to fabricate sensor array. The resolution of the touch-pressure sensor in the range of 0-10 N and 10-100 N are 0.1 N and 1 N, respectively. The experimental data of the sensor are sent by ZigBee wireless technology which reduces the complexity of the wiring and provides a convenient way to apply and maintain the sensor array.

The adsorption of biogenic amines on carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorenko, I. G.; Markitan, O. V.; Vlasova, N. N.; Zagorovskii, G. M.; Lobanov, V. V.

2009-06-01

The adsorption of phenylethylamine, tryptamine, and tyramine on carbon nanotubes from aqueous solutions (pH 7.4) was studied depending on time and sorbate concentration. The suggestion was made that their interaction with electrodes was determined by electrostatic attraction between protonated amino groups and oxygen-containing functional groups of the surface of carbon. An increase in the adsorption of biological amines was caused by the interaction of the π systems of their aromatic rings with carbon surface hexagons. The adsorption of biogenic amines on carbon nanotubes was necessary for their possible electrooxidation and analytic determination by electrochemical methods with the use of carbon electrodes.

A tripolar-electrode ionization gas sensor using a carbon nanotube cathode for NO detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Hui; Li, Kun; Li, Quanfu

2018-06-01

Nitric oxide accounts for more than 95% of the total NO X emission from power plants, which is a major air pollutant. Therefore, it is imperative to accurately detect NO for environmental protection. A tripolar-electrode ionization sensor with a carbon nanotube (CNT) cathode is proposed for NO detection. The non-self-sustaining discharge state and the tripolar-electrode configuration ensures a long nanotube life, which ensures a good stability and fast response of the sensor. Experimental results demonstrate that the tripolar-electrode ionization sensor with 120 µm separations has an intrinsic monotonously decreasing response to NO and exhibits a fast response time of 7 s and recovery time of 8 s. More consumption of the two metastable states N2(A3  ∑  u +) and N2(aʹ1  ∑  u +) of N2 with the increasing of NO concentration is responsible for this. The tripolar-electrode ionization sensor also shows excellent long-term stability of at least one month due to the long CNT life. In addition, the weak effect of SO2 introduction on NO response indicates a good selectivity of the sensor to NO.

Highly enhanced electrochemical activity of Ni foam electrodes decorated with nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes for non-aqueous redox flow batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jungkuk; Park, Min-Sik; Kim, Ki Jae

2017-02-01

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) are directly grown on the surface of a three-dimensional (3D) Ni foam substrate by floating catalytic chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD). The electrochemical properties of the 3D NCNT-Ni foam are thoroughly examined as a potential electrode for non-aqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs). During synthesis, nitrogen atoms can be successfully doped onto the carbon nanotube (CNT) lattices by forming an abundance of nitrogen-based functional groups. The 3D NCNT-Ni foam electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical activities toward the redox reactions of [Fe (bpy)3]2+/3+ (in anolyte) and [Co(bpy)3]+/2+ (in catholyte), which are mainly attributed to the hierarchical 3D structure of the NCNT-Ni foam electrode and the catalytic effect of nitrogen atoms doped onto the CNTs; this leads to faster mass transfer and charge transfer during operation. As a result, the RFB cell assembled with 3D NCNT-Ni foam electrodes exhibits a high energy efficiency of 80.4% in the first cycle; this performance is maintained up to the 50th cycle without efficiency loss.

Electrophoretic deposition of multi-walled carbon nanotube on a stainless steel electrode for use in sediment microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Song, Tian-Shun; Peng-Xiao; Wu, Xia-Yuan; Zhou, Charles C

2013-07-01

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) could be used as power sources and one type of new technology for the removal of organic matters in sediments. In order to improve electrode materials and enhance their effect on the performance, we deposited multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) on stainless steel net (SSN). Electrophoretic deposition technique as a method with low cost, process simplicity, and thickness control was used for this electrode modification and produced this novel SSN-MWNT electrode. The performances of SMFCs with SSN-MWNT as electrode were investigated. The results showed that the maximum power density of SMFC with SSN-MWNT cathode was 31.6 mW m(-2), which was 3.2 times that of SMFC with an uncoated stainless steel cathode. However, no significant increase in the maximum power density of SMFC with SSN-MWNT anode was detected. Further electrochemical analysis showed that when SSN-MWNT was used as the cathode, the cathodic electrochemical activity and oxygen reduction rate were significantly improved. This study demonstrates that the electrophoretic deposition of carbon nanotubes on conductive substrate can be applied for improving the performance of SMFC.

Electrochemical properties of seamless three-dimensional carbon nanotubes-grown graphene modified with horseradish peroxidase.

PubMed

Komori, Kikuo; Terse-Thakoor, Trupti; Mulchandani, Ashok

2016-10-01

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was immobilized through sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the surface of a seamless three-dimensional hybrid of carbon nanotubes grown at the graphene surface (HRP-SDS/CNTs/G) and its electrochemical properties were investigated. Compared with graphene alone electrode modified with HRP via SDS (HRP-SDS/G electrode), the surface coverage of electroactive HRP at the CNTs/G electrode surface was approximately 2-fold greater because of CNTs grown at the graphene surface. Based on the increase in the surface coverage of electroactive HRP, the sensitivity to H2O2 at the HRP-SDS/CNTs/G electrode was higher than that at the HRP-SDS/G electrode. The kinetics of the direct electron transfer from the CNTs/G electrode to compound I and II of modified HRP was also analyzed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carbon Nanotube Based Light Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, russell A. (Inventor); Smits, Jan M. (Inventor); Jordan, Jeffrey D. (Inventor); Watkins, Anthony Neal (Inventor); Ingram, JoAnne L. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A light sensor substrate comprises a base made from a semi-conductive material and topped with a layer of an electrically non-conductive material. A first electrode and a plurality of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based conductors are positioned on the layer of electrically non-conductive material with the CNT-based conductors being distributed in a spaced apart fashion about a periphery of the first electrode. Each CNT-based conductor is coupled on one end thereof to the first electrode and extends away from the first electrode to terminate at a second free end. A second or gate electrode is positioned on the non-conductive material layer and is spaced apart from the second free end of each CNT-based conductor. Coupled to the first and second electrode is a device for detecting electron transfer along the CNT-based conductors resulting from light impinging on the CNT-based conductors.

Electrocatalytic response of poly(cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes-Nafion modified electrode toward sulfadiazine in urine*

PubMed Central

Hong, Xiao-ping; Zhu, Yan; Zhang, Yan-zhen

2012-01-01

A highly sensitive amperometric sulfadiazine sensor fabricated by electrochemical deposition of poly(cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine) (poly(CoIITAPc)) on the surface of a multi-walled carbon nanotubes-Nafion (MWCNTs-Nafion) modified electrode is described. This electrode showed a very attractive performance by combining the advantages of CoIITAPc, MWCNTs, and Nafion. Compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and the MWCNTs-Nafion modified electrode, the electrocatalytic activity of poly(CoIITAPc)-coated MWCNTs-Nafion GCE generated greatly improved electrochemical detections toward sulfadiazine including low oxidation potential, high current responses, and good anti-fouling performance. The oxidation peak currents of sulfadiazine obtained on the new modified electrode increased linearly while increasing the concentration of sulfadiazine from 0.5 to 43.5 μmol/L with the detection limit of 0.17 μmol/L. PMID:22661213

Titanyl phthalocyanine ambipolar thin film transistors making use of carbon nanotube electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppedè, Nicola; Valitova, Irina; Mahvash, Farzaneh; Tarabella, Giuseppe; Ranzieri, Paolo; Iannotta, Salvatore; Santato, Clara; Martel, Richard; Cicoira, Fabio

2014-12-01

The capability of efficiently injecting charge carriers into organic films and finely tuning their morphology and structure is crucial to improve the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). In this work, we investigate OTFTs employing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the source-drain electrodes and, as the organic semiconductor, thin films of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) grown by supersonic molecular beam deposition (SuMBD). While CNT electrodes have shown an unprecedented ability to improve charge injection in OTFTs, SuMBD is an effective technique to tune film morphology and structure. Varying the substrate temperature during deposition, we were able to grow both amorphous (low substrate temperature) and polycrystalline (high substrate temperature) films of TiOPc. Regardless of the film morphology and structure, CNT electrodes led to superior charge injection and transport performance with respect to benchmark Au electrodes. Vacuum annealing of polycrystalline TiOPc films with CNT electrodes yielded ambipolar OTFTs.

Design, fabrication, and evaluation of on-chip micro-supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beidaghi, Majid

Due to the increasing demand for high power and reliable miniaturized energy storage devices, the development of micro-supercapacitors or electrochemical micro-capacitors have attracted much attention in recent years. This dissertation investigates several strategies to develop on-chip micro-supercapacitors with high power and energy density. Micro-supercapacitors based on interdigitated carbon micro-electrode arrays are fabricated through carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) technique which is based on carbonization of patterned photoresist. To improve the capacitive behavior, electrochemical activation is performed on carbon micro-electrode arrays. The developed micro-supercapacitors show specific capacitances as high as 75 mFcm-2 at a scan rate of 5 mVs -1 after electrochemical activation for 30 minutes. The capacitance loss is less than 13% after 1000 cyclic voltammetry (CV) cycles. These results indicate that electrochemically activated C-MEMS micro-electrode arrays are promising candidates for on-chip electrochemical micro-capacitor applications. The energy density of micro-supercapacitors was further improved by conformal coating of polypyrrole (PPy) on C-MEMS structures. In these types of micro-devices the three dimensional (3D) carbon microstructures serve as current collectors for high energy density PPy electrodes. The electrochemical characterizations of these micro-supercapacitors show that they can deliver a specific capacitance of about 162.07 mFcm-2 and a specific power of 1.62mWcm -2 at a 20 mVs-1 scan rate. Addressing the need for high power micro-supercapacitors, the application of graphene as electrode materials for micro-supercapacitor was also investigated. The present study suggests a novel method to fabricate graphene-based micro-supercapacitors with thin film or in-plane interdigital electrodes. The fabricated micro-supercapacitors show exceptional frequency response and power handling performance and could effectively charge and discharge at rates as high as 50 Vs-1. CV measurements show that the specific capacitance of the micro-supercapacitor based on reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotube composites is 6.1 mFcm -2 at scan rate of 0.01Vs-1. At a very high scan rate of 50 Vs-1, a specific capacitance of 2.8 mFcm-2 (stack capacitance of 3.1 Fcm-3) is recorded. This unprecedented performance can potentially broaden the future applications of micro-supercapacitors.

Thylakoid-Deposited Micro-Pillar Electrodes for Enhanced Direct Extraction of Photosynthetic Electrons

PubMed Central

Ryu, DongHyun; Kim, Yong Jae; Kim, Seon Il; Hong, Hyeonaug; Ahn, Hyun S.

2018-01-01

Photosynthesis converts solar energy to electricity in a highly efficient manner. Since only water is needed as fuel for energy conversion, this highly efficient energy conversion process has been rigorously investigated. In particular, photosynthetic apparatus, such as photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI), or thylakoids, have been isolated from various plants to construct bio-hybrid anodes. Although PSII or PSI decorated anodes have shown potentials, there still remain challenges, such as poor stability of PSII-based systems or need for electron donors other than water molecules of PSI-based systems. Thylakoid membranes are relatively stable after isolation and they contain all the necessary photosynthetic apparatus including the PSII and PSI. To increase electrical connections between thylakoids and anodes, nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, nanowires, nanoparticles, or graphene have been employed. However, since they rely on the secondary electrical connections between thylakoids and anodes; it is desired to achieve larger direct contacts between them. Here, we aimed to develop micro-pillar (MP) array anodes to maximize direct contact with thylakoids. The thylakoid morphology was analyzed and the MP array was designed to maximize direct contact with thylakoids. The performance of MP anodes and a photosynthetic fuel cell based on MP electrodes was demonstrated and analyzed. PMID:29587387

Thermally Stable and Electrically Conductive, Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Infiltrated Composite Structures for High-Temperature Electrodes.

PubMed

Zou, Qi Ming; Deng, Lei Min; Li, Da Wei; Zhou, Yun Shen; Golgir, Hossein Rabiee; Keramatnejad, Kamran; Fan, Li Sha; Jiang, Lan; Silvain, Jean-Francois; Lu, Yong Feng

2017-10-25

Traditional ceramic-based, high-temperature electrode materials (e.g., lanthanum chromate) are severely limited due to their conditional electrical conductivity and poor stability under harsh circumstances. Advanced composite structures based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) and high-temperature ceramics are expected to address this grand challenge, in which ceramic serves as a shielding layer protecting the VACNTs from the oxidation and erosive environment, while the VACNTs work as a conductor. However, it is still a great challenge to fabricate VACNT/ceramic composite structures due to the limited diffusion of ceramics inside the VACNT arrays. In this work, we report on the controllable fabrication of infiltrated (and noninfiltrated) VACNT/silicon composite structures via thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [and laser-assisted CVD]. In laser-assisted CVD, low-crystalline silicon (Si) was quickly deposited at the VACNT subsurfaces/surfaces followed by the formation of high-crystalline Si layers, thus resulting in noninfiltrated composite structures. Unlike laser-assisted CVD, thermal CVD activated the precursors inside and outside the VACNTs simultaneously, which realized uniform infiltrated VACNT/Si composite structures. The growth mechanisms for infiltrated and noninfiltrated VACNT/ceramic composites, which we attributed to the different temperature distributions and gas diffusion mechanism in VACNTs, were investigated. More importantly, the as-farbicated composite structures exhibited excellent multifunctional properties, such as excellent antioxidative ability (up to 1100 °C), high thermal stability (up to 1400 °C), good high velocity hot gas erosion resistance, and good electrical conductivity (∼8.95 Sm -1 at 823 K). The work presented here brings a simple, new approach to the fabrication of advanced composite structures for hot electrode applications.

Electrical properties of 0.4 cm long single walled nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Zhen

2005-03-01

Centimeter scale aligned carbon nanotube arrays are grown from nanoparticle/metal catalyst pads[1]. We find the nanotubes grow both with and ``against the wind.'' A metal underlayer provides in-situ electrical contact to these long nanotubes with no post growth processing needed. Using the electrically contacted nanotubes, we study electrical transport of 0.4 cm long nanotubes[2]. Using this data, we are able to determine the resistance of a nanotube as a function of length quantitatively, since the contact resistance is negligible in these long nanotubes. The source drain I-V curves are quantitatively described by a classical, diffusive model. Our measurements show that the outstanding transport properties of nanotubes can be extended to the cm scale and open the door to large scale integrated nanotube circuits with macroscopic dimensions. These are the longest electrically contacted single walled nanotubes measured to date. [1] Zhen Yu, Shengdong Li, Peter J. Burke, ``Synthesis of Aligned Arrays of Millimeter Long, Straight Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes,'' Chemistry of Materials, 16(18), 3414-3416 (2004). [2] Shengdong Li, Zhen Yu, Christopher Rutherglen, Peter J. Burke, ``Electrical properties of 0.4 cm long single-walled carbon nanotubes'' Nano Letters, 4(10), 2003-2007 (2004).

Moving towards high-power, high-frequency and low-resistance CNT supercapacitors by tuning the CNT length, axial deformation and contact resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basiricò, L.; Lanzara, G.

2012-08-01

In this paper it is shown that the electrochemical behaviour of vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (VANT) supercapacitors is influenced by the VANTs’ length (electrode thickness), by their axial compression and by their interface with the current collector. It is found that the VANTs, which can be interpreted as a dense array of nanochannels, have an active area available to ions that is strongly affected by the electrode’s thickness and compressional state. Consequently, the tested thinner electrodes, compressed electrodes or a combination of the two were found to be characterized by a significant improvement in terms of power density (up to 1246%), knee frequency (58 822% working up to 10 kHz), equivalent series resistance (ESR, up to 67%) and capacitance (up to 21%) when compared with thicker and/or uncompressed electrodes. These values are significantly higher than those reported in the literature where long VANTs with no control on compression are typically used. It is also shown that the ESR can be reduced not only by using shorter and compressed VANTs that have a higher conductance or by improving the electrode/collector electrical contact by changing the contact morphology at the nanoscale through compression, but also by depositing a thin platinum layer on the VANT tips in contact with the current collector (73% ESR decrease).

Fabrication of Ni-Ti-O nanotube arrays by anodization of NiTi alloy and their potential applications

PubMed Central

Hang, Ruiqiang; Liu, Yanlian; Zhao, Lingzhou; Gao, Ang; Bai, Long; Huang, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xiangyu; Tang, Bin; Chu, Paul K.

2014-01-01

Nickel-titanium-oxide (Ni-Ti-O) nanotube arrays (NTAs) prepared on nearly equiatomic NiTi alloy shall have broad application potential such as for energy storage and biomedicine, but their precise structure control is a great challenge because of the high content of alloying element of Ni, a non-valve metal that cannot form a compact electronic insulating passive layer when anodized. In the present work, we systemically investigated the influence of various anodization parameters on the formation and structure of Ni-Ti-O NTAs and their potential applications. Our results show that well controlled NTAs can be fabricated during relatively wide ranges of the anodization voltage (5–90 V), electrolyte temperature (10–50°C) and electrolyte NH4F content (0.025–0.8 wt%) but within a narrow window of the electrolyte H2O content (0.0–1.0 vol%). Through modulating these parameters, the Ni-Ti-O NTAs with different diameter (15–70 nm) and length (45–1320 nm) can be produced in a controlled manner. Regarding potential applications, the Ni-Ti-O NTAs may be used as electrodes for electrochemical energy storage and non-enzymic glucose detection, and may constitute nanoscaled biofunctional coating to improve the biological performance of NiTi based biomedical implants. PMID:25520180

Multilayer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-dexamethasone and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrene sulfonate-carbon nanotubes coatings on glassy carbon microelectrode arrays for controlled drug release.

PubMed

Castagnola, Elisa; Carli, Stefano; Vomero, Maria; Scarpellini, Alice; Prato, Mirko; Goshi, Noah; Fadiga, Luciano; Kassegne, Sam; Ricci, Davide

2017-07-13

The authors present an electrochemically controlled, drug releasing neural interface composed of a glassy carbon (GC) microelectrode array combined with a multilayer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coating. The system integrates the high stability of the GC electrode substrate, ideal for electrical stimulation and electrochemical detection of neurotransmitters, with the on-demand drug-releasing capabilities of PEDOT-dexamethasone compound, through a mechanically stable interlayer of PEDOT-polystyrene sulfonate (PSS)-carbon nanotubes (CNT). The authors demonstrate that such interlayer improves both the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the neural interface, when compared with a single PEDOT-dexamethasone coating. Moreover, the multilayer coating is able to withstand 10 × 10 6 biphasic pulses and delamination test with negligible change to the impedance spectra. Cross-section scanning electron microscopy images support that the PEDOT-PSS-CNT interlayer significantly improves the adhesion between the GC substrate and PEDOT-dexamethasone coating, showing no discontinuities between the three well-interconnected layers. Furthermore, the multilayer coating has superior electrochemical properties, in terms of impedance and charge transfer capabilities as compared to a single layer of either PEDOT coating or the GC substrate alone. The authors verified the drug releasing capabilities of the PEDOT-dexamethasone layer when integrated into the multilayer interface through repeated stimulation protocols in vitro, and found a pharmacologically relevant release of dexamethasone.

Carbon Nanotube Web with Carboxylated Polythiophene "Assist" for High-Performance Battery Electrodes.

PubMed

Kwon, Yo Han; Park, Jung Jin; Housel, Lisa M; Minnici, Krysten; Zhang, Guoyan; Lee, Sujin R; Lee, Seung Woo; Chen, Zhongming; Noda, Suguru; Takeuchi, Esther S; Takeuchi, Kenneth J; Marschilok, Amy C; Reichmanis, Elsa

2018-04-24

A carbon nanotube (CNT) web electrode comprising magnetite spheres and few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWNTs) linked by the carboxylated conjugated polymer, poly[3-(potassium-4-butanoate) thiophene] (PPBT), was designed to demonstrate benefits derived from the rational consideration of electron/ion transport coupled with the surface chemistry of the electrode materials components. To maximize transport properties, the approach introduces monodispersed spherical Fe 3 O 4 (sFe 3 O 4 ) for uniform Li + diffusion and a FWNT web electrode frame that affords characteristics of long-ranged electronic pathways and porous networks. The sFe 3 O 4 particles were used as a model high-capacity energy active material, owing to their well-defined chemistry with surface hydroxyl (-OH) functionalities that provide for facile detection of molecular interactions. PPBT, having a π-conjugated backbone and alkyl side chains substituted with carboxylate moieties, interacted with the FWNT π-electron-rich and hydroxylated sFe 3 O 4 surfaces, which enabled the formation of effective electrical bridges between the respective components, contributing to efficient electron transport and electrode stability. To further induce interactions between PPBT and the metal hydroxide surface, polyethylene glycol was coated onto the sFe 3 O 4 particles, allowing for facile materials dispersion and connectivity. Additionally, the introduction of carbon particles into the web electrode minimized sFe 3 O 4 aggregation and afforded more porous FWNT networks. As a consequence, the design of composite electrodes with rigorous consideration of specific molecular interactions induced by the surface chemistries favorably influenced electrochemical kinetics and electrode resistance, which afforded high-performance electrodes for battery applications.

Bismuth oxide nanotubes-graphene fiber-based flexible supercapacitors.

PubMed

Gopalsamy, Karthikeyan; Xu, Zhen; Zheng, Bingna; Huang, Tieqi; Kou, Liang; Zhao, Xiaoli; Gao, Chao

2014-08-07

Graphene-bismuth oxide nanotube fiber as electrode material for constituting flexible supercapacitors using a PVA/H3PO4 gel electrolyte is reported with a high specific capacitance (Ca) of 69.3 mF cm(-2) (for a single electrode) and 17.3 mF cm(-2) (for the whole device) at 0.1 mA cm(-2), respectively. Our approach opens the door to metal oxide-graphene hybrid fibers and high-performance flexible electronics.

Servo scanning 3D micro EDM for array micro cavities using on-machine fabricated tool electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Hao; Li, Yong; Zhang, Long

2018-02-01

Array micro cavities are useful in many fields including in micro molds, optical devices, biochips and so on. Array servo scanning micro electro discharge machining (EDM), using array micro electrodes with simple cross-sectional shape, has the advantage of machining complex 3D micro cavities in batches. In this paper, the machining errors caused by offline-fabricated array micro electrodes are analyzed in particular, and then a machining process of array servo scanning micro EDM is proposed by using on-machine fabricated array micro electrodes. The array micro electrodes are fabricated on-machine by combined procedures including wire electro discharge grinding, array reverse copying and electrode end trimming. Nine-array tool electrodes with Φ80 µm diameter and 600 µm length are obtained. Furthermore, the proposed process is verified by several machining experiments for achieving nine-array hexagonal micro cavities with top side length of 300 µm, bottom side length of 150 µm, and depth of 112 µm or 120 µm. In the experiments, a chip hump accumulates on the electrode tips like the built-up edge in mechanical machining under the conditions of brass workpieces, copper electrodes and the dielectric of deionized water. The accumulated hump can be avoided by replacing the water dielectric by an oil dielectric.

Inkjet Printing of Carbon Nanotubes

PubMed Central

Tortorich, Ryan P.; Choi, Jin-Woo

2013-01-01

In an attempt to give a brief introduction to carbon nanotube inkjet printing, this review paper discusses the issues that come along with preparing and printing carbon nanotube ink. Carbon nanotube inkjet printing is relatively new, but it has great potential for broad applications in flexible and printable electronics, transparent electrodes, electronic sensors, and so on due to its low cost and the extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes. In addition to the formulation of carbon nanotube ink and its printing technologies, recent progress and achievements of carbon nanotube inkjet printing are reviewed in detail with brief discussion on the future outlook of the technology. PMID:28348344

Sensitive detection of hydroxylamine at a simple baicalin carbon nanotubes modified electrode.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongfang; Zheng, Jianbin

2012-05-15

A baicalin multi-wall carbon nanotubes (BaMWCNT) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the sensitive determination of hydroxylamine was described. The BaMWCNT/GCE with dramatic stability was firstly fabricated with a simple adsorption method. And it showed excellent catalytic activity toward the electrooxidation of hydroxylamine. The amperometric response at the BaMWCNT/GCE modified electrode increased linearly to hydroxylamine concentrations in the range of 0.5 μM to 0.4mM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM. The modified electrode was applied to detection hydroxylamine in the tap water, and the average recovery for the standards added was 96.0%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MnO2/multiwall carbon nanotube/Ni-foam hybrid electrode for electrochemical capacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, L. H.; Li, L.; Qian, W. J.; Dong, C. K.

2018-01-01

The ternary composites of manganese dioxide/multiwall carbon nanotube/Ni-foam (MnO2/MWNT/Ni-foam) for supercapacitors were fabricated via a hydrothermal method after direct growth of MWNTs on the Ni-foam. The structural properties of the electrodes were characterized by SEM and TEM. The electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical properties from the investigation based on the three-electrode setup. Low contact resistance Rs of about 0.291 Ω between MnO2/MWNT and Ni-foam was reached benefited from the direct growth structure. High capacitance of 355.1 F/g at the current density of 2 A/g was achieved, with good capacitive response at high current density. The MnO2/MWNT/Ni-foam electrode exhibits good stability performance after 2000 cycles at a current of 40 mA.

Nanotube Surface Arrays: Weaving, Bending, and Assembling on Patterned Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsukruk, Vladimir V.; Ko, Hyunhyub; Peleshanko, Sergiy

2004-02-01

We report the fabrication of ordered arrays of oriented and bent carbon nanotube on a patterned silicon surface with a micron scale spacing extending over millimeter size surface areas. We suggest that the patterning is controlled by the hydrodynamic behavior of a fluid front and orientation and bending mechanisms are facilitated by the pinned carbon nanotubes trapped by the liquid-solid-vapor contact line. The bending of the pinned nanotubes occurs along the shrinking receding front of the drying microdroplets. The formation of stratified microfluidic layers is vital for stimulating periodic instabilities of the contact line.

Biological properties of nanostructured Ti incorporated with Ca, P and Ag by electrochemical method.

PubMed

Li, Baoe; Hao, Jingzu; Min, Yang; Xin, Shigang; Guo, Litong; He, Fei; Liang, Chunyong; Wang, Hongshui; Li, Haipeng

2015-06-01

TiO2 nanotube arrays were synthesized on Ti surface by anodic oxidation. The elements of Ca and P were simultaneously incorporated during nanotubes growth in SBF electrolyte, and then Ag was introduced to nanotube arrays by cathodic deposition, which endowed the good osseointegration and antibacterial property of Ti. The bioactivity of the Ti surface was evaluated by simulated body fluid soaking test. The biocompatibility was investigated by in vitro cell culture test. And the antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus was examined by the bacterial counting method. The results showed that the incorporation of Ca, P and Ag elements had no significant influence on the formation of nanotube arrays on Ti surface during electrochemical treatment. Compared to the polished or nanotubular Ti surface, TiO2 nanotube arrays incorporated with Ca, P and Ag increased the formation of bone-like apatite in simulated body fluid, enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation, and inhibited the bacterial growth. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the nanostructured Ti incorporated with Ca, P and Ag by electrochemical method has promising applications as implant material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of long-channel nanotube field-effect-transistors (NT FETs)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toshishige, Yamada; Kwak, Dochan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides an analysis of long-channel nanotube (NT) field effect transistors (FET) from NASA's Ames Research Center. The structure of such a transistor including the electrode contact, 1D junction, and the planar junction is outlined. Also mentioned are various characteristics of a nanotube tip-equipped scanning tunnel microscope (STM).

Single wall carbon nanotube supports for portable direct methanol fuel cells.

PubMed

Girishkumar, G; Hall, Timothy D; Vinodgopal, K; Kamat, Prashant V

2006-01-12

Single-wall and multiwall carbon nanotubes are employed as carbon supports in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The morphology and electrochemical activity of single-wall and multiwall carbon nanotubes obtained from different sources have been examined to probe the influence of carbon support on the overall performance of DMFC. The improved activity of the Pt-Ru catalyst dispersed on carbon nanotubes toward methanol oxidation is reflected as a shift in the onset potential and a lower charge transfer resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interface. The evaluation of carbon supports in a passive air breathing DMFC indicates that the observed power density depends on the nature and source of carbon nanostructures. The intrinsic property of the nanotubes, dispersion of the electrocatalyst and the electrochemically active surface area collectively influence the performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). As compared to the commercial carbon black support, single wall carbon nanotubes when employed as the support for anchoring the electrocatalyst particles in the anode and cathode sides of MEA exhibited a approximately 30% enhancement in the power density of a single stack DMFC operating at 70 degrees C.

Attachment of Single-wall Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) on Platinum Surfaces by Self-Assembling Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosario-Castro, Belinda I.; Cabrera, Carlos R.; Perez-Davis, Maria; Lebron, Marisabel; Meador, Michael

2003-01-01

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are very interesting materials because of their morphology, electronic and mechanical properties. Its morphology (high length-to-diameter ratio) and electronic properties suggest potential application of SWNTs as anode material for lithium ion secondary batteries. The introduction of SWNTs on these types of sources systems will improve their performance, efficiency, and capacity to store energy. A purification method has been applied for the removal of iron and amorphous carbon from the nanotubes. Unpurified and purified SWNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In order to attach carbon nanotubes on platinum electrode surfaces, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) was deposited over the electrodes. The amino-terminated SAM obtained was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Carbon nanotubes were deposited over the amino-terminated SAM by an amide bond formed between SAM amino groups and carboxylic acid groups at the open ends of the carbon nanotubes.This deposition was characterized using Raman spectroscopy and Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM).

High Electrocatalytic Activity of Vertically Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes towards Sulfide Redox Shuttles.

PubMed

Hao, Feng; Dong, Pei; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Yongchang; Loya, Phillip E; Hauge, Robert H; Li, Jianbao; Lou, Jun; Lin, Hong

2012-01-01

Vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (VASWCNTs) have been successfully transferred onto transparent conducting oxide glass and implemented as efficient low-cost, platinum-free counter electrode in sulfide -mediated dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), featuring notably improved electrocatalytic activity toward thiolate/disulfide redox shuttle over conventional Pt counter electrodes. Impressively, device with VASWCNTs counter electrode demonstrates a high fill factor of 0.68 and power conversion efficiency up to 5.25%, which is significantly higher than 0.56 and 3.49% for that with a conventional Pt electrode. Moreover, VASWCNTs counter electrode produces a charge transfer resistance of only 21.22 Ω towards aqueous polysulfide electrolyte commonly applied in quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs), which is several orders of magnitude lower than that of a typical Pt electrode. Therefore, VASWCNTs counter electrodes are believed to be a versatile candidate for further improvement of the power conversion efficiency of other iodine-free redox couple based DSCs and polysulfide electrolyte based QDSCs.

Flexible retinal electrode array

DOEpatents

Okandan, Murat [Albuquerque, NM; Wessendorf, Kurt O [Albuquerque, NM; Christenson, Todd R [Albuquerque, NM

2006-10-24

An electrode array which has applications for neural stimulation and sensing. The electrode array can include a large number of electrodes each of which is flexibly attached to a common substrate using a plurality of springs to allow the electrodes to move independently. The electrode array can be formed from a combination of bulk and surface micromachining, with electrode tips that can include an electroplated metal (e.g. platinum, iridium, gold or titanium) or a metal oxide (e.g. iridium oxide) for biocompatibility. The electrode array can be used to form a part of a neural prosthesis, and is particularly well adapted for use in an implantable retinal prosthesis where the electrodes can be tailored to provide a uniform gentle contact pressure with optional sensing of this contact pressure at one or more of the electrodes.

Advanced Sodium Ion Battery Anode Constructed via Chemical Bonding between Phosphorus, Carbon Nanotube, and Cross-Linked Polymer Binder.

PubMed

Song, Jiangxuan; Yu, Zhaoxin; Gordin, Mikhail L; Li, Xiaolin; Peng, Huisheng; Wang, Donghai

2015-12-22

Maintaining structural stability is a great challenge for high-capacity conversion electrodes with large volume change but is necessary for the development of high-energy-density, long-cycling batteries. Here, we report a stable phosphorus anode for sodium ion batteries by the synergistic use of chemically bonded phosphorus-carbon nanotube (P-CNT) hybrid and cross-linked polymer binder. The P-CNT hybrid was synthesized through ball-milling of red phosphorus and carboxylic group functionalized carbon nanotubes. The P-O-C bonds formed in this process help maintain contact between phosphorus and CNTs, leading to a durable hybrid. In addition, cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose-citric acid binder was used to form a robust electrode. As a result, this anode delivers a stable cycling capacity of 1586.2 mAh/g after 100 cycles, along with high initial Coulombic efficiency of 84.7% and subsequent cycling efficiency of ∼99%. The unique electrode framework through chemical bonding strategy reported here is potentially inspirable for other electrode materials with large volume change in use.

On the advancement of quantum dot solar cell performance through enhanced charge carrier dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, David R.

The quantum dot solar cell is one of the few solar technologies which promises to compete with fossil fuels, but work is still needed to increase its performance. Electron transfer kinetics at interfaces and limitations of the redox couple within the cell, are responsible for lowering power conversion efficiency. Several techniques which are able to increase electron transfer within the working electrode and at the counter electrode/electrolyte interface are discussed in this dissertation. Trap sites on the surface of CdSe quantum dots are created when mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) is added to the suspension. The trap sites are emissive creating a loss pathway for photogenerated charges which will manifest as reduced photocurrent. MPA displaces amines on the surface of CdSe creating Se vacancies. Emission properties are controlled by the concentration of MPA. Because trap sites are generated, a more successful method to sensitize TiO2 films is the SILAR technique which directly grows quantum dots on the desired surface. Anodically etched TiO2 nanotubes yield photocurrents 20% greater than TiO2 nanoparticles because of longer electron diffusion lengths. Peak incident photon to charge carrier efficiencies of TiO2 nanotube samples show a doubling of photocurrent in the visible region compared to nanoparticles. The TiO2 substrates are sensitized with CdS by the SILAR process which is found to utilize both the inside and outside surfaces of the TiO2 nanotubes. Etched TiO2 nanotubes are removed from the underlying titanium foil in order to use spectroscopic techniques. Ultrafast transient absorption shows the extremely fast nature of charge injection from SILAR CdS into TiO 2 nanotubes. Surface area analysis of TiO2 nanotube powder gives an area of 77m2/g, a value 1.5 times larger than traditional TiO2 nanoparticles. By isolating the counter electrode with a salt bridge the effect of the polysulfide electrolyte is found to act as an electron scavenger on the working electrode. Though activity at the platinum counter electrode increases with the presence of polysulfides, the activity is too low to counteract scavenging at the working electrode. Cu2S, CoS and PbS electrochemically show promise as alternatives to platinum. Cu2S and CoS produce higher photocurrents and fill factors, greatly improving cell performance.

The development of a multichannel electrode array for retinal prostheses.

PubMed

Terasawa, Yasuo; Tashiro, Hiroyuki; Uehara, Akihiro; Saitoh, Tohru; Ozawa, Motoki; Tokuda, Takashi; Ohta, Jun

2006-01-01

The development of a multielectrode array is the key issue for retinal prostheses. We developed a 10 x 10 platinum electrode array that consists of an 8-microm polyimide layer sandwiched between 5-microm polymonochloro-para-xylylene (parylene-C) layers. Each electrode was formed as a 30-microm-high bump by Pt/Au double-layer electroplating. We estimated the charge delivery capability (CDC) of the electrode by measuring the CDCs of two-channel electrode arrays. The dimensions of each electrode of the two-channel array were the same as those of each electrode formed on the 10 x 10 array. The results suggest that for cathodic-first (CF) pulses, 80% of electrodes surpassed our development target of 318 microC/cm2, which corresponds to the charge density of pulses of 500 micros duration and 200 microA amplitude for a 200-microm-diameter planar electrode.

PEDOT-CNT coated electrodes stimulate retinal neurons at low voltage amplitudes and low charge densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samba, R.; Herrmann, T.; Zeck, G.

2015-02-01

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare two different microelectrode materials—the conductive polymer composite poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT)-carbon nanotube(CNT) and titanium nitride (TiN)—at activating spikes in retinal ganglion cells in whole mount rat retina through stimulation of the local retinal network. Stimulation efficacy of the microelectrodes was analyzed by comparing voltage, current and transferred charge at stimulation threshold. Approach. Retinal ganglion cell spikes were recorded by a central electrode (30 μm diameter) in the planar grid of an electrode array. Extracellular stimulation (monophasic, cathodic, 0.1-1.0 ms) of the retinal network was performed using constant voltage pulses applied to the eight surrounding electrodes. The stimulation electrodes were equally spaced on the four sides of a square (400 × 400 μm). Threshold voltage was determined as the pulse amplitude required to evoke network-mediated ganglion cell spiking in a defined post stimulus time window in 50% of identical stimulus repetitions. For the two electrode materials threshold voltage, transferred charge at threshold, maximum current and the residual current at the end of the pulse were compared. Main results. Stimulation of retinal interneurons using PEDOT-CNT electrodes is achieved with lower stimulation voltage and requires lower charge transfer as compared to TiN. The key parameter for effective stimulation is a constant current over at least 0.5 ms, which is obtained by PEDOT-CNT electrodes at lower stimulation voltage due to its faradaic charge transfer mechanism. Significance. In neuroprosthetic implants, PEDOT-CNT may allow for smaller electrodes, effective stimulation in a safe voltage regime and lower energy-consumption. Our study also indicates, that the charge transferred at threshold or the charge injection capacity per se does not determine stimulation efficacy.

Carbon nanotube diameter selection by pretreatment of metal catalysts on surfaces

DOEpatents

Hauge, Robert H [Houston, TX; Xu, Ya-Qiong [Houston, TX; Shan, Hongwei [Houston, TX; Nicholas, Nolan Walker [South Charleston, WV; Kim, Myung Jong [Houston, TX; Schmidt, Howard K [Cypress, TX; Kittrell, W Carter [Houston, TX

2012-02-28

A new and useful nanotube growth substrate conditioning processes is herein disclosed that allows the growth of vertical arrays of carbon nanotubes where the average diameter of the nanotubes can be selected and/or controlled as compared to the prior art.

Formation of TiO2 nanotube arrays in KOH added fluoride-ethylene glycol (EG) electrolyte and its photoelectrochemical response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyein, Nyein; Lockman, Zainovia; Matsuda, Astunori; Kawamura, Go; Tan, Wai Kian; Oo, Than Zaw

2016-07-01

In this study, highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were prepared by anodic oxidation of titanium foil in fluoride -EG electrolyte containing a small amount of potassium hydroxide, KOH at 60 V for 30 min. This electrolyte resulted in the formation of long nanotubes with an average length of 10 µm and diameter of 170 nm. For comparison, TiO2 nanotubes anodized in H2O added EG electrolyte which produces short nanotubes with an average tube length of 5 µm and diameter of 170 nm. It appears that the addition of KOH into the fluoride EG electrolyte accelerated the formation of the TiO2 nanotubes as it is believed that the chemical dissolution at the tips of the nanotubes is suppressed. Highly ordered TiO2 nanotubes anodized in KOH added EG electrolyte exhibited the photocurrent density of 2 mA/cm2, which is significantly higher than H2O added sample (1.5 mA/cm2).

Experimental observation of an extremely dark material made by a low-density nanotube array.

PubMed

Yang, Zu-Po; Ci, Lijie; Bur, James A; Lin, Shawn-Yu; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2008-02-01

An ideal black material absorbs light perfectly at all angles and over all wavelengths. Here, we show that low-density vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays can be engineered to have an extremely low index of refraction, as predicted recently by theory [Garcia-Vidal, F. J.; Pitarke, J. M.; Pendry, J. B. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1997, 78, 4289-4292] and, combined with the nanoscale surface roughness of the arrays, can produce a near-perfect optical absorption material. An ultralow diffused reflectance of 1 x 10(-7) measured from such arrays is an order-of-magnitude lower compared to commercial low-reflectance standard carbon. The corresponding integrated total reflectance of 0.045% from the nanotube arrays is three times lower than the lowest-ever reported values of optical reflectance from any material, making it the darkest man-made material ever.

Enhancing Thermal Conductive Performance of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Array Composite by Pre-Annealing Treatment.

PubMed

Wang, Miao; Chen, Hong-Yuan; Xing, Ya-Juan; Wei, Han-Xing; Li, Qiang; Chen, Ming-Hai; Li, Qing-Wen; Xuan, Yi-Min

2015-04-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) array/polymer composite has already been recognized as a promising candidate for advanced thermal pad in thermal management of high-power electronic devices. However, the thermal conductive performance of this composite was limited by the quality of CNTs arrays. In this study, pre-annealing treatment was used to purify CNT arrays and improve thermal conductive performance of VACNT arrays/silicone composite. The thermal conductivity of the composite was enhanced by 34.52% and the thermal interface resistance was also reduced by 65.94% at a pre-annealing temperature of 490 °C for 5 min. The annealing process could remove some amorphous carbon and open the tips of CNTs. As a result, the interfacial compatibility in composite between carbon nanotube and polymer matrix was improved. The cyclic compression and tension performance of VACNT/S160 composite was investigated for further application.

Influence of packing density and surface roughness of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes on adhesive properties of gecko-inspired mimetics.

PubMed

Chen, Bingan; Zhong, Guofang; Oppenheimer, Pola Goldberg; Zhang, Can; Tornatzky, Hans; Esconjauregui, Santiago; Hofmann, Stephan; Robertson, John

2015-02-18

We have systematically studied the macroscopic adhesive properties of vertically aligned nanotube arrays with various packing density and roughness. Using a tensile setup in shear and normal adhesion, we find that there exists a maximum packing density for nanotube arrays to have adhesive properties. Too highly packed tubes do not offer intertube space for tube bending and side-wall contact to surfaces, thus exhibiting no adhesive properties. Likewise, we also show that the surface roughness of the arrays strongly influences the adhesion properties and the reusability of the tubes. Increasing the surface roughness of the array strengthens the adhesion in the normal direction, but weakens it in the shear direction. Altogether, these results allow progress toward mimicking the gecko's vertical mobility.

Performance of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes Grown on Conductive Substrates as Supercapacitors Electrodes using Organic and Ionic liquid electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winchester, Andrew; Ghosh, Sujoy; Turner, Ben; Zhang, X. F.; Talapatra, Saikat

2012-02-01

In this work we will present the use of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWNT) directly grown on inconel substrates via chemical vapor deposition, as electrode materials for electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLC). The performance of the MWNT EDLC electrodes were investigated using two electrolytes, an organic electrolyte, tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in propylene carbonate (Et4NBF4 in PC), and a room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF6). Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements to obtain values for the capacitance and internal resistance of these devices will be presented and compared.

Modeling of Schottky Barrier Modulation due to Oxidation at Metallic Electrode and Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Junction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamada, Toshishige; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

A model is proposed for the previously reported lower Schottky barrier for holes PHI (sub bH) in air than in vacuum at a metallic electrode - semiconducting carbon nanotube (CNT) junction. We assume that there is a transition region between the electrode and the CNT, and an appreciable potential can drop there. The role of the oxidation is to increase this potential drop with negatively charged oxygen molecules on the CNT, leading to lower PHI(sub Bh) after oxidation. The mechanism prevails in both p- and n-CNTs, and the model consistently explains the key experimental findings.

Poly(3,3‴-didodecylquarterthiophene) field effect transistors with single-walled carbon nanotube based source and drain electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuan Yuan; Shi, Yumeng; Chen, Fuming; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Li, Lain-Jong; Ong, Beng S.; Wu, Yiliang

2007-11-01

A solution processable method for employing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as bottom contact source/drain electrodes for a significant reduction of contact resistance in poly(3,3‴-didodecylquarterthiophene) based organic field effect transistors (OFETs) is proposed. A two order of magnitude reduction in contact resistance and up to a threefold improvement in field effect mobilities were observed in SWCNT contacted OFETs as opposed to similar devices with gold source/drain electrodes. Based on Kelvin probe measurements, this improvement was attributed to a reduction in the Schottky barrier for hole injection into organic semiconductor.

Electrochemical biosensors for biocontaminant detection consisting of carbon nanotubes, platinum nanoparticles, dendrimers, and enzymes.

PubMed

Siriviriyanun, Ampornphan; Imae, Toyoko; Nagatani, Naoki

2013-12-15

The presented approach provides the advanced development of effective, rapid, and versatile electrochemical sensors for a small amount of analytes on potential, cheap, and disposable printed chips. The electrocatalytic activity of this biosensor revealed the feasible detection of hydrogen peroxide at low potential (~0.09 V) and the detection of a biocontaminant inhibitor (organophosphorus pesticide) in a wide range of concentrations. This efficiency comes from the chemical immobilization of catalysts (Pt nanoparticles) and electron transfer-enlarging materials (carbon nanotubes) on an electrode. Especially, dendrimers raise the stable conjugation of enzymes (acetylcholinesterase/choline oxidase/peroxidase) as well as nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes on an electrode. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carbon-Fiber Microelectrodes for In Vivo Applications

PubMed Central

Huffman, Megan L.; Venton, B. Jill

2009-01-01

Carbon-fiber microelectrodes (CFMEs) have been a useful tool for measuring rapid changes in neurotransmitters because of their small size, sensitivity, and good electrochemical properties. In this article, we highlight recent advances using CFMEs for measuring neurotransmitters in vivo. Dopamine has been a primary neurotransmitter of interest but direct electrochemical detection of other neurochemicals including nitric oxide and adenosine has also been investigated. Surface treatments have been studied to enhance electrode sensitivity, such as covalent modification or the addition of a layer of carbon nanotubes. Enzyme-modified microelectrodes that detect non-electroactive compounds further extend the usefulness of CFMEs beyond the traditional monoamines. CFMEs continue to be used in vivo to understand basic neurobiological mechanisms and the actions of pharmacological agents, including drugs of abuse. Advances in sensitivity and instrumentation now allow CFMEs to be used for measurements of natural dopamine release that occur during behavioral experiments. A new technique combining electrochemistry with electrophysiology at a single microelectrode facilitates a better understanding of neurotransmitter concentrations and their effects on cell firing. Future research in this field will likely concentrate on fabricating smaller electrodes and electrode arrays, as well as expanding the use of CFMEs in neuroscience beyond dopamine. PMID:19082168

Enhanced performance of core-shell structured polyaniline at helical carbon nanotube hybrids for ammonia gas sensor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Xin; Wang, Qiang; Chen, Xiangnan

2014-11-17

A core-shell structured hybrid of polyaniline at helical carbon nanotubes was synthesized using in situ polymerization, which the helical carbon nanotubes were uniformly surrounded by a layer of polyaniline nanorods array. More interestingly, repeatable responses were experimentally observed that the sensitivity to ammonia gas of the as-prepared helical shaped core-shell hybrid displays an enhancement of more than two times compared to those of only polyaniline or helical carbon nanotubes sensors because of the peculiar structures with high surface area. This kind of hybrid comprising nanorod arrays of conductive polymers covering carbon nanotubes and related structures provide a potential in sensorsmore » of trace gas detection for environmental monitoring and safety forecasting.« less

Detection of Quinoline in G. boninense-Infected Plants Using Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: A Field Study.

PubMed

Akanbi, Fowotade Sulayman; Yusof, Nor Azah; Abdullah, Jaafar; Sulaiman, Yusran; Hushiarian, Roozbeh

2017-07-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and chitosan nanoparticles (CTSNPs) were anchored on a screen-printed electrode to fabricate a multi-walled structure for the detection of quinoline. The surface morphology of the nanocomposites and the modified electrode was examined by an ultra-high resolution field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of specific functional groups on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes MWCNTs. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were used to monitor the layer-by-layer assembly of ultra-thin films of nanocomposites on the surface of the electrode and other electrochemical characterizations. Under optimized conditions, the novel sensor displayed outstanding electrochemical reactivity towards the electro-oxidation of quinoline. The linear range was fixed between 0.0004 and 1.0 μM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.75 nM. The fabricated electrode exhibited high stability with excellent sensitivity and selectivity, specifically attributable to the salient characteristics of AuNPs, CTSNPs, and MWCNTs and the synergistic inter-relationship between them. The newly developed electrode was tested in the field. The Ipa increased with an increase in the amount of quinoline solution added, and the peak potential deviated minimally, depicting the real capability of the newly fabricated electrode.

Analysis of polyphenols in white wine by CZE with amperometric detection using carbon nanotube-modified electrodes.

PubMed

Moreno, Mónica; Arribas, Alberto Sánchez; Bermejo, Esperanza; Zapardiel, Antonio; Chicharro, Manuel

2011-04-01

A method for the simultaneous detection of five polyphenols (caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic and gallic acids and (+)-catechin) by CZE with electrochemical detection was developed. Separation of these polyphenols was performed in a 100 mM borate buffer (pH 9.2) within 15 min. Under optimized separation conditions, the performance of glassy carbon (GC) electrodes modified with multiwalled carbon nanotube layer obtained from different dispersions was examined. GC electrode modified with a dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) in polyethylenimine has proven to be the most suitable CNT-based electrode for its application as amperometric detector for the CZE separation of the studied compounds. The excellent electrochemical properties of this electrode allowed the detection of the selected polyphenols at +200 mV and improved the efficiency and the resolution of their CZE separation. Limits of detection below 3.1 μM were obtained with linear ranges covering the 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻⁴  M range. The proposed method has been successfully applied for the detection (ferulic, caffeic and gallic acids and (+)-catechin) and the quantification (gallic acid and (+)-catechin) of polyphenols in two different white wines without any preconcentration step. A remarkable signal stability was observed on the electrode performance despite the presence of potential fouling substances in wine. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Detection of Quinoline in G. boninense-Infected Plants Using Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: A Field Study

PubMed Central

Akanbi, Fowotade Sulayman; Yusof, Nor Azah; Abdullah, Jaafar; Sulaiman, Yusran; Hushiarian, Roozbeh

2017-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and chitosan nanoparticles (CTSNPs) were anchored on a screen-printed electrode to fabricate a multi-walled structure for the detection of quinoline. The surface morphology of the nanocomposites and the modified electrode was examined by an ultra-high resolution field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of specific functional groups on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes MWCNTs. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were used to monitor the layer-by-layer assembly of ultra-thin films of nanocomposites on the surface of the electrode and other electrochemical characterizations. Under optimized conditions, the novel sensor displayed outstanding electrochemical reactivity towards the electro-oxidation of quinoline. The linear range was fixed between 0.0004 and 1.0 μM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.75 nM. The fabricated electrode exhibited high stability with excellent sensitivity and selectivity, specifically attributable to the salient characteristics of AuNPs, CTSNPs, and MWCNTs and the synergistic inter-relationship between them. The newly developed electrode was tested in the field. The Ipa increased with an increase in the amount of quinoline solution added, and the peak potential deviated minimally, depicting the real capability of the newly fabricated electrode. PMID:28671561

New biosensing platforms based on the layer-by-layer self-assembling of polyelectrolytes on Nafion/carbon nanotubes-coated glassy carbon electrodes.

PubMed

Rivas, Gustavo A; Miscoria, Silvia A; Desbrieres, Jacques; Barrera, Gustavo D

2007-01-15

We are proposing for the first time the use of a Nafion/multi-walled carbon nanotubes dispersion deposited on glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) as a new platform for developing enzymatic biosensors based on the self-assembling of a chitosan derivative and different oxidases. The electrodes are obtained by deposition of a layer of Nafion/multi-wall carbon nanotubes dispersion on glassy carbon electrodes, followed by the adsorption of a chitosan derivative as polycation and glucose oxidase, l-aminoacid oxidase or polyphenol oxidase, as polyanions and biorecognition elements. The optimum configuration for glucose biosensors has allowed a highly sensitive (sensitivity=(0.28+/-0.02)muAmM(-1), r=0.997), fast (4s in reaching the maximum response), and highly selective (0% interference of ascorbic acid and uric acid at maximum physiological levels) glucose quantification at 0.700V with detection and quantification limits of 0.035 and 0.107mM, respectively. The repetitivity for 10 measurements was 5.5%, while the reproducibility was 8.4% for eight electrodes. The potentiality of the new platform was clearly demonstrated by using the carbon nanotubes/Nafion layer as a platform for the self-assembling of l-aminoacid oxidase and polyphenol oxidase. Therefore, the platform we are proposing here, that combines the advantages of nanostructured materials with those of the layer-by-layer self-assembling of polyelectrolytes, opens the doors to new and exciting possibilities for the development of enzymatic and affinity biosensors using different transdution modes.

Construction of a new selective coated disk electrode for Ag (I) based on modified polypyrrole-carbon nanotubes composite with new lariat ether.

PubMed

Abbaspour, A; Tashkhourian, J; Ahmadpour, S; Mirahmadi, E; Sharghi, H; Khalifeh, R; Shahriyari, M R

2014-01-01

A poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrix membrane ion-selective electrode for silver (I) ion is fabricated based on modified polypyrrole - multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite with new lariat ether. This sensor has a Nernstian slope of 59.4±0.5mV/decade over a wide linear concentration range of 1.0×10(-7) to 1.0×10(-1)molL(-1) for silver (I) ion. It has a short response time of about 8.0s and can be used for at least 50days. The detection limit is 9.3×10(-8)molL(-1) for silver (I) ion, and the electrode was applicable in the wide pH range of 1.6 -7.7. The electrode shows good selectivity for silver ion against many cations such as Hg (II), which usually imposes serious interference in the determination of silver ion concentration. The use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in a polymer matrix improves the linear range and sensitivity of the electrode. In addition by coating the solid contact with a layer of the polypyrrole (Ppy) before coating the membrane on it, not only did it reduce the drift in potential, but a shorter response time was also resulted. The proposed electrode was used as an indicator electrode for potentiometric titration of silver ions with chloride anions and in the titration of mixed halides. This electrode was successfully applied for the determination of silver ions in silver sulphadiazine as a burning cream. © 2013.

Layer-by-layer assembly of MXene and carbon nanotubes on electrospun polymer films for flexible energy storage.

PubMed

Zhou, Zehang; Panatdasirisuk, Weerapha; Mathis, Tyler S; Anasori, Babak; Lu, Canhui; Zhang, Xinxing; Liao, Zhiwei; Gogotsi, Yury; Yang, Shu

2018-03-29

Free-standing, highly flexible and foldable supercapacitor electrodes were fabricated through the spray-coating assisted layer-by-layer assembly of Ti3C2Tx (MXene) nanoflakes together with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber networks. The open structure of the PCL network and the use of MWCNTs as spacers not only limit the restacking of Ti3C2Tx flakes but also increase the accessible surface of the active materials, facilitating fast diffusion of electrolyte ions within the electrode. Composite electrodes have areal capacitance (30-50 mF cm-2) comparable to other templated electrodes reported in the literature, but showed significantly improved rate performance (14-16% capacitance retention at a scan rate of 100 V s-1). Furthermore, the composite electrodes are flexible and foldable, demonstrating good tolerance against repeated mechanical deformation, including twisting and folding. Therefore, these tens of micron thick fiber electrodes will be attractive for applications in energy storage, electroanalytical chemistry, brain electrodes, electrocatalysis and other fields, where flexible freestanding electrodes with an open and accessible surface are highly desired.

High-power lithium ion batteries based on preorganized necklace type Li4Ti5O12/VACNT nano-composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlitzek, Fabian; Pampel, Jonas; Schmuck, Martin; Althues, Holger; Schumm, Benjamin; Kaskel, Stefan

2016-09-01

Li4Ti5O12 as anode material for high power Li+-ion batteries is very promising due to its unique electronic properties. However, the lack of electronic conductivity as well as the low Li+-ion diffusion coefficient are major drawbacks in achieving high power densities. In this work, therefore, we prepared a nano-composite consisting of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays decorated with in-situ grown necklace type Li4Ti5O12 nanoparticles. Owing to this structure the electrodes exhibit outstanding rate performances with specific capacities of 110 mAh g-1 up to 300C and cycling performance with high capacity retention of 97% after 500 cycles at 10C. Thus, the combination of short Li+-ion diffusion distances within Li4Ti5O12 particles, remarkable electronic conductivity by carbon nanotubes directly grown on the current collector as well as a high contact surface area due to an open pore geometry is essential in achieving high power Li4Ti5O12 anodes.

Ultrasensitive Immunosensor for Cancer Biomarker Proteins using Gold Nanoparticle Film Electrodes and Multienzyme-Particle Amplification

PubMed Central

Mani, Vigneshwaran; Chikkaveeraiah, Bhaskara V.; Patel, Vyomesh; Gutkind, J. Silvio; Rusling, James F.

2009-01-01

A densely packed gold nanoparticle platform combined with a multiple-enzyme labeled detection antibody-magnetic bead bioconjugate was used as the basis for an ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor to detect cancer biomarkers in serum. Sensitivity was greatly amplified by synthesizing magnetic bioconjugates particles containing 7500 horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labels along with detection antibodies (Ab2) attached to activated carboxyl groups on 1 µm diameter magnetic beads. These sensors had sensitivity of 31.5 µA mL ng−1 and detection limit (DL) of 0.5 pg mL−1 for prostate specific antigen (PSA) in 10 µL of undiluted serum. This represents an ultralow mass DL of 5 fg PSA, eight fold better than a previously reported carbon nanotube (CNT) forest immunosensor featuring multiple labels on carbon nanotubes, and near or below the normal serum levels of most cancer biomarkers. Measurements of PSA in cell lysates and human serum of cancer patients gave excellent correlations with standard ELISA assays. These easily fabricated AuNP immunosensors show excellent promise for future fabrication of bioelectronic arrays. PMID:19216571

Arrays of hierarchical nickel sulfides/MoS2 nanosheets supported on carbon nanotubes backbone as advanced anode materials for asymmetric supercapacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xijia; Zhao, Lijun; Lian, Jianshe

2017-03-01

One-dimensional (1D) hierarchical structures composed of nickel sulfides/MoS2 (NMS) supported on carbon nanotube (CNT) are fabricated through a one-step facile glucose-assisted hydrothermal method (NMS/CNT). The curled and tangled 1D structure is intertwined with each other and constructs three-dimensional (3D) porous networks, providing easy access of electrolyte. Meanwhile, the formation of metallic 1T-2H hybridized MoS2 and the synergistic effect between the MoS2 layers and nickel sulfides (NS) nanoparticles promotes the ions diffusion on the surface of the electrode, and the void space formed between NMS sheets can endure volume change in redox process for more stable structures. Therefore, the assembled NMS/CNT//activated carbon (AC) asymmetric supercapacitor manifests favorable specific capacitance of 108 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1, along with a high energy density of 40 Wh kg-1 and good cycling stability of almost 100% capacity maintained after 10,000 cycles, implying it's the promising candidate for energy storage.

Development of a Fabrication Path for Au-Organothiol-Carbon Nanotube Molecular Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moscatello, Jason

2011-04-01

Silicon electronics is at the scaling limit and new approaches are necessary. Nanomaterials have significant promise in addressing this problem and each has its own potentially useful properties; yet making the material is only the first step in harnessing those properties. Transitioning from developing materials to integrating them into devices is no small endeavor - placement, wiring, etc. are nontrivial on the nanoscale. This talk details work done at Michigan Tech developing a fabrication process for Molecular Electronic Junctions (MEJs). The goal is to study the lifetime of MEJs containing strong bonds because short lifetime is the largest limiting factor in many MEJs. It is important that the physics studied remains accurate even if the size is scaled down and the MEJs are arranged into arrays - two things that are necessary for MEJs to be used commercially. In addition the process is widely usable, since it only utilizes inexpensive and/or common processes (e.g. dielectrophoresis and photolithography). An overview of the fabrication process will be detailed, along with carbon nanotube (top electrode) placement by dielectrophoresis, and initial results.

Safety, reliability, and operability of cochlear implant electrode arrays coated with biocompatible polymer.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Makoto; Kikkawa, Yayoi S; Sakamoto, Takashi; Kondo, Kenji; Ishihara, Kazuhiko; Konno, Tomohiro; Pawsey, Nick; Yamasoba, Tatsuya

2015-04-01

Polymer-coated electrodes can reduce surgically-induced trauma associated with the insertion of a cochlear implant (CI) electrode array. To evaluate if insertion trauma in CI surgery can be reduced by using electrode arrays coated with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer. We analyzed characteristics of the Contour Advance electrode arrays coated with MPC polymer. To assess surgical trauma during electrode insertion, polymer-coated or uncoated (n = 5 each) animal electrode arrays were implanted in guinea pig cochleae and operability and electrophysiological and histological changes were assessed. Under light and scanning electron microscopy, polymer-coated electrodes did not appear different from uncoated electrodes, and no change was observed after mechanical stressing of the arrays. Electrode insertion was significantly easier when polymer-coated electrodes were used. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds did not differ between groups, but p1-n1 amplitudes of the coated group were larger compared with the uncoated group at 32 kHz at 28 days after surgery. The survival of outer hair cells and spiral ganglion cells was significantly greater in the polymer-coated group.

Decrease of contact resistance at the interface of carbon nanotube/electrode by nanowelding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Bo; Wang, Yanfang; Zhang, Yafei

2017-03-01

Reliable interconnection between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and external circuit is one of the prerequisite in CNT electronics. In this work, ultrasonic nanowelding was used to bond CNTs with metal electrodes. By exerting ultrasonic energy at the interface of CNT/electrode, a reliable joint with negligible contact resistance was obtained between CNTs and electrodes. The performance of welding is susceptible to the ultrasonic parameters such as ultrasonic power and clamping force, as well as the metal type. It is found that the metals with good ductility or low melting point are easier to achieve effective joints. Moreover, interfacial compounds are formed at the welded surface of metal Al and Fe, which is resulted from the interacting and chemical bonding of carbon and metal atoms. After nanowelding, the contact resistance between CNTs and electrode is decreased dramatically, and the two-terminal resistance of the sample approximates to the intrinsic resistance of the CNT itself.

Effect of electrode gap on the sensing properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes based gas sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saheed, Mohamed Shuaib Mohamed; Mohamed, Norani Muti; Burhanudin, Zainal Arif

2016-11-01

Vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were grown on Si substrate coated with alumina and iron using chemical vapor deposition. Electrode gap of 10, 25 and 50 µm were adopted to determine the effect of varying gap spacing on the sensing properties such as voltage breakdown, sensitivity and selectivity for three gases namely argon, carbon dioxide and ammonia. Argon has the lowest voltage breakdown for every electrode gap. The fabricated MWCNT based gas sensor drastically reduced the voltage breakdown by 89.5% when the electrode spacing is reduced from 50 µm to 10 µm. The reduction is attributed to the high non-uniform electric field between the electrodes caused by the protrusion of nanotips. The sensor shows good sensitivity and selectivity with the ability to detect the gas in the mixture with air provided that the concentration is ≥ 20% where the voltage breakdown will be close to the pure gas.

Effect of platelet-shaped graphene additives on actuating response of carbon nanotube/ionic liquid/polymer composite actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monobe, Hirosato; Tsuchiya, Nobuyuki; Yamamura, Masahiro; Mukai, Ken; Sugino, Takushi; Asaka, Kinji

2018-03-01

In this study, the platelet-shaped graphene was used as a conductive additive in porous electrodes of a dry-type polymer actuator consisting of carbon nanotube (CNT), ionic liquid, and a base polymer to improve actuation properties. The generated strain was estimated from the bending motion of the actuator in the frequency range from 0.005 to 10 Hz. Ten different types of electrode film were prepared by changing the mixing amounts and surface areas of the platelet-shaped graphene. When a small amount of graphene (30 mg) relative to CNT (50 mg) was added to the CNT electrode, the strain was increased to be almost twice larger than that of CNT (50 mg) without any additives. The strain coefficient of the three-layered actuator with CNT electrodes with graphene additives is positively correlated with the capacitance per volume of such electrodes.

Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Glucose Oxidase on Carbon Nanotube Modified Electrodes.

PubMed

Suroviec, Alice H

2017-01-01

The use of enzymatically modified electrodes for the detection of glucose or other non-electrochemically active analytes is becoming increasingly common. Direct heterogeneous electron transfer to glucose oxidase has been shown to be kinetically difficult, which is why electron transfer mediators or indirect detection is usually used for monitoring glucose with electrochemical sensors. It has been found, however, that electrodes modified with single or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) demonstrate fast heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics as compared to that found for traditional electrodes. Incorporating CNTs into the assembly of electrochemical glucose sensors, therefore, affords the possibility of facile electron transfer to glucose oxidase, and a more direct determination of glucose. This chapter describes the methods used to use CNTs in a layer-by-layer structure along with glucose oxidase to produce an enzymatically modified electrode with high turnover rates, increased stability and shelf-life.

Gold nanoparticle decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes as counter electrode for dye sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Kaniyoor, Adarsh; Ramaprabhu, Sundara

2012-11-01

A novel counter electrode material for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) composed of nanostructured Au particles decorated on functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWNTs) is demonstrated for the first time. MWNTs synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition technique are purified and functionalized by treating with concentrated acids. Au nanoparticles are decorated on f-MWNTs by a rapid and facile microwave assisted polyol reduction method. The materials are characterized by X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The DSSC fabricated with Au/f-MWNTs based counter electrode shows enhanced power conversion efficiency (eta) of 4.9% under AM 1.5G simulated solar radiation. In comparison, the reference DSSCs fabricated with f-MWNTs and Pt counter electrodes show eta of 2.1% and 4.5%. This high performance of Au/f-MWNTs counter electrode is investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry studies.

Harvesting waste thermal energy using a carbon-nanotube-based thermo-electrochemical cell.

PubMed

Hu, Renchong; Cola, Baratunde A; Haram, Nanda; Barisci, Joseph N; Lee, Sergey; Stoughton, Stephanie; Wallace, Gordon; Too, Chee; Thomas, Michael; Gestos, Adrian; Cruz, Marilou E Dela; Ferraris, John P; Zakhidov, Anvar A; Baughman, Ray H

2010-03-10

Low efficiencies and costly electrode materials have limited harvesting of thermal energy as electrical energy using thermo-electrochemical cells (or "thermocells"). We demonstrate thermocells, in practical configurations (from coin cells to cells that can be wrapped around exhaust pipes), that harvest low-grade thermal energy using relatively inexpensive carbon multiwalled nanotube (MWNT) electrodes. These electrodes provide high electrochemically accessible surface areas and fast redox-mediated electron transfer, which significantly enhances thermocell current generation capacity and overall efficiency. Thermocell efficiency is further improved by directly synthesizing MWNTs as vertical forests that reduce electrical and thermal resistance at electrode/substrate junctions. The efficiency of thermocells with MWNT electrodes is shown to be as high as 1.4% of Carnot efficiency, which is 3-fold higher than for previously demonstrated thermocells. With the cost of MWNTs decreasing, MWNT-based thermocells may become commercially viable for harvesting low-grade thermal energy.

Mesoporous Li4Ti5O12 nanoclusters anchored on super-aligned carbon nanotubes as high performance electrodes for lithium ion batteries.

PubMed

Sun, Li; Kong, Weibang; Wu, Hengcai; Wu, Yang; Wang, Datao; Zhao, Fei; Jiang, Kaili; Li, Qunqing; Wang, Jiaping; Fan, Shoushan

2016-01-07

Mesoporous lithium titanate (LTO) nanoclusters are in situ synthesized in a network of super aligned carbon nanotubes (SACNTs) via a solution-based method followed by heat treatment in air. In the LTO-CNT composite, SACNTs not only serve as the skeleton to support a binder-free electrode, but also render the composite with high conductivity, flexibility, and mechanical strength. The homogeneously dispersed LTO nanoclusters among the SACNTs allow each LTO grain to effectively access the electrolyte and the conductive network, benefiting both ion and electron transport. By the incorporation of LTO into the CNT network, mechanical reinforcement is also achieved. When serving as a negative electrode for lithium ion batteries, such a robust composite-network architecture provides the electrodes with effective charge transport and structural integrity, leading to high-performance flexible electrodes with high capacity, high rate capability, and excellent cycling stability.

An electrochemical fungicide pyrimethanil sensor based on carbon nanotubes/ionic-liquid construction modified electrode.

PubMed

Yang, Jichun; Wang, Qiong; Zhang, Minhui; Zhang, Shuming; Zhang, Lei

2015-11-15

In this study, a simple, rapid, sensitive and environmentally friendly electroanalytical detection method for pyrimethanil (PMT) was developed, which was based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and ionic liquids (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF6]) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). MWCNTs-IL modified electrode significantly enhanced the oxidation peak current of PMT by combining the excellent electrochemical properties of MWCNTs and IL, suggesting that the modified electrode can remarkably improve the sensitivity of PMT detection. Under the optimum conditions, this electrochemical sensor exhibited a linear concentration range for PMT of 1.0 × 10(-7)-1.0 × 10(-4) mol L(-1) and the detection limit was 1.6 × 10(-8) mol L(-1) (S/N = 3). The fabricated electrode showed good reproducibility, stability and anti-interference, and also it was successfully employed to detect PMT in real samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Construction of a carbon ionic liquid paste electrode based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes-synthesized Schiff base composite for trace electrochemical detection of cadmium.

PubMed

Afkhami, Abbas; Khoshsafar, Hosein; Bagheri, Hasan; Madrakian, Tayyebeh

2014-02-01

A simple, highly sensitive and selective carbon nanocomposite electrode has been developed for the electrochemical trace determination of cadmium. This sensor was designed by incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and a new synthesized Schiff base into the carbon paste ionic liquid electrode (CPE(IL)) which provides remarkably improved sensitivity and selectivity for the electrochemical stripping assay of Cd(II). The detection limit of the method was found to be 0.08 μg L(-1) (S/N=3) that is lower than the maximum contaminant level of Cd(II) allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in standard drinking waters. The proposed electrode exhibits good applicability for monitoring Cd(II) in various real samples. © 2013.

Electrical device fabrication from nanotube formations

DOEpatents

Nicholas, Nolan Walker; Kittrell, W. Carter; Kim, Myung Jong; Schmidt, Howard K.

2013-03-12

A method for forming nanotube electrical devices, arrays of nanotube electrical devices, and device structures and arrays of device structures formed by the methods. Various methods of the present invention allow creation of semiconducting and/or conducting devices from readily grown SWNT carpets rather than requiring the preparation of a patterned growth channel and takes advantage of the self-controlling nature of these carpet heights to ensure a known and controlled channel length for reliable electronic properties as compared to the prior methods.

Facile fabrication of self-assembled polyaniline nanotubes doped with D-tartaric acid for high-performance supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Jingjing; Ma, Guofu; Peng, Hui; Li, Jiajia; Sun, Kanjun; Lei, Ziqiang

2013-11-01

Polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes with outstanding electrochemical properties have been successfully synthesized via a simple chemical template-free method in the presence of D-tartaric acid (D-TA) as the dopant, and ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2S2O8) as the oxidant. The morphologies and structures of PANI-(D-TA) with different [D-TA]/[aniline] molar ratios are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). To assess the electrochemical properties of PANI-(D-TA) materials, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charging-discharging measurements are performed. The PANI-(D-TA) nanotubes electrode, with [D-TA]/[aniline] molar ratio of 1:1, exhibits larger specific capacitance (as high as 625 F g-1 at 1 A g-1) and higher capacitance retention (77% of its initial capacitance after 500 cycles) in 1 M H2SO4 aqueous solution. The remarkable electrochemical characteristics of PANI-(D-TA) are mainly attributed to their unique nanotubular structures, which provide a high electrode/electrolyte contact area and short ions diffusion path. These novel PANI-(D-TA) nanotubes will be promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.

A selective iodide ion sensor electrode based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes.

PubMed

Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Khun, Kimleang; Willander, Magnus

2013-02-04

In this research work, ZnO nanotubes were fabricated on a gold coated glass substrate through chemical etching by the aqueous chemical growth method. For the first time a nanostructure-based iodide ion selective electrode was developed. The ZnO nanotubes were functionalized with miconazole ion exchanger and the electromotive force (EMF) was measured by the potentiometric method. The iodide ion sensor exhibited a linear response over a wide range of concentrations (1 × 10-6 to 1 × 10-1 M) and excellent sensitivity of -62 ± 1 mV/decade. The detection limit of the proposed sensor was found to be 5 × 10-7 M. The effects of pH, temperature, additive, plasticizer and stabilizer on the potential response of iodide ion selective electrode were also studied. The proposed iodide ion sensor demonstrated a fast response time of less than 5 s and high selectivity against common organic and the inorganic anions. All the obtained results revealed that the iodide ion sensor based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes may be used for the detection of iodide ion in environmental water samples, pharmaceutical products and other real samples.

A Selective Iodide Ion Sensor Electrode Based on Functionalized ZnO Nanotubes

PubMed Central

Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Khun, Kimleang; Willander, Magnus

2013-01-01

In this research work, ZnO nanotubes were fabricated on a gold coated glass substrate through chemical etching by the aqueous chemical growth method. For the first time a nanostructure-based iodide ion selective electrode was developed. The ZnO nanotubes were functionalized with miconazole ion exchanger and the electromotive force (EMF) was measured by the potentiometric method. The iodide ion sensor exhibited a linear response over a wide range of concentrations (1 × 10−6 to 1 × 10−1 M) and excellent sensitivity of −62 ± 1 mV/decade. The detection limit of the proposed sensor was found to be 5 × 10−7 M. The effects of pH, temperature, additive, plasticizer and stabilizer on the potential response of iodide ion selective electrode were also studied. The proposed iodide ion sensor demonstrated a fast response time of less than 5 s and high selectivity against common organic and the inorganic anions. All the obtained results revealed that the iodide ion sensor based on functionalized ZnO nanotubes may be used for the detection of iodide ion in environmental water samples, pharmaceutical products and other real samples. PMID:23385412

Research of influence of the underlayer material on the growth rate of carbon nanotube arrays for manufacturing non-volatile memory elements with high speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimin, V. S.; Il'ina, M. V.; Il'in, O. I.; Rudyk, N. N.; Ageev, O. A.

2017-11-01

This experimental work is devoted to the regimes of obtaining arrays of carbon nanotubes. Arrays of perpendicular nanotubes perpendicular to the surface were obtained by the method of Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. In this paper, geometric and electronic parameters of carbon nanotubes were investigated depending on the material of the sublayer. The rates of growth of carbon nanotubes on various structures were also determined. In the experiments for growth, structures such as Ni-Al-Si, Ni-V-Si, Ni-Ti-Si, Ni-Cr-Si were used. The growth rates for the intensive section were for the Ni-Cr-Si structure, the growth rate is about 1 μm / min, for the Ni-V-Si structure it is 0.55 μm / min. The growth rates for the saturation region for the Ni-Cr-Si structure, the growth rate is about 0.2 μm / min, for the Ni-V-Si structure 0.16 μm / min. The results obtained in this paper can be used to optimize the growth regimes perpendicularly oriented to the substrate carbon nanotubes, which are used as various elements in modern nanoelectronics.

Direct and mediated electrochemistry of peroxidase and its electrocatalysis on a variety of screen-printed carbon electrodes: amperometric hydrogen peroxide and phenols biosensor.

PubMed

Chekin, Fereshteh; Gorton, Lo; Tapsobea, Issa

2015-01-01

This study compares the behaviour of direct and mediated electrochemistry of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilised on screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs), screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with carboxyl-functionalised multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-SPCEs) and screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with carboxyl-functionalised single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT-SPCEs). The techniques of cyclic voltammetry and amperometry in the flow mode were used to characterise the properties of the HRP immobilised on screen-printed electrodes. From measurements of the mediated and mediatorless currents of hydrogen peroxide reduction at the HRP-modified electrodes, it was concluded that the fraction of enzyme molecules in direct electron transfer (DET) contact with the electrode varies substantially for the different electrodes. It was observed that the screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-SPCEs and SWCNT-SPCEs) demonstrated a substantially higher percentage (≈100 %) of HRP molecules in DET contact than the screen-printed carbon electrodes (≈60 %). The HRP-modified electrodes were used for determination of hydrogen peroxide in mediatorless mode. The SWCNT-SPCE gave the lowest detection limit (0.40 ± 0.09 μM) followed by MWCNT-SPCE (0.48 ± 0.07 μM) and SPCE (0.98 ± 0.2 μM). These modified electrodes were additionally developed for amperometric determination of phenolic compounds. It was found that the SWCNT-SPCE gave a detection limit for catechol of 110.2 ± 3.6 nM, dopamine of 640.2 ± 9.2 nM, octopamine of 3341 ± 15 nM, pyrogallol of 50.10 ± 2.9 nM and 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine of 980.7 ± 8.7 nM using 50 μM H2O2 in the flow carrier.

Immobilizing enzymes onto electrode arrays by hydrogel photolithography to fabricate multi-analyte electrochemical biosensors.

PubMed

Yan, Jun; Pedrosa, Valber A; Simonian, Aleksandr L; Revzin, Alexander

2010-03-01

This paper describes a biomaterial microfabrication approach for interfacing functional biomolecules (enzymes) with electrode arrays. Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel photopatterning was employed to integrate gold electrode arrays with the enzymes glucose oxidase (GOX) and lactate oxidase (LOX). In this process, PEG diacrylate (DA)-based prepolymer containing enzyme molecules as well as redox species (vinylferrocene) was spin-coated, registered, and UV cross-linked on top of an array of gold electrodes. As a result, enzyme-carrying circular hydrogel structures (600 microm diameter) were fabricated on top of 300 microm diameter gold electrodes. Importantly, when used with multiple masks, hydrogel photolithography allowed us to immobilize GOX and LOX molecules on adjacent electrodes within the same electrode array. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry were used to characterize biosensor electrode arrays. The response of the biosensor array was linear for up to 20 mM glucose with sensitivity of 0.9 microA cm(-2) mM(-1) and 10 mM lactate with sensitivity of 1.1 microA cm(-2) mM(-1). Importantly, simultaneous detection of glucose and lactate from the same electrode array was demonstrated. A novel strategy for integrating biological and electrical components of a biosensor described in this paper provides the flexibility to spatially resolve and register different biorecognition elements with individual members of a miniature electrode array. Of particular interest to us are future applications of these miniature electrodes for real-time monitoring of metabolite fluxes in the vicinity of living cells.

Chemically Doped Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Cylindrical Molecular Capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Gugang; Bandow, S.; Margine, E. R.; Nisoli, C.; Kolmogorov, A. N.; Crespi, Vincent H.; Gupta, R.; Sumanasekera, G. U.; Iijima, S.; Eklund, P. C.

2003-06-01

A double-walled carbon nanotube is used to study the radial charge distribution on the positive inner electrode of a cylindrical molecular capacitor. The outer electrode is a shell of bromine anions. Resonant Raman scattering from phonons on each carbon shell reveals the radial charge distribution. A self-consistent tight-binding model confirms the observed molecular Faraday cage effect, i.e., most of the charge resides on the outer wall, even when this wall was originally semiconducting and the inner wall was metallic.

Chemically doped double-walled carbon nanotubes: cylindrical molecular capacitors.

PubMed

Chen, Gugang; Bandow, S; Margine, E R; Nisoli, C; Kolmogorov, A N; Crespi, Vincent H; Gupta, R; Sumanasekera, G U; Iijima, S; Eklund, P C

2003-06-27

A double-walled carbon nanotube is used to study the radial charge distribution on the positive inner electrode of a cylindrical molecular capacitor. The outer electrode is a shell of bromine anions. Resonant Raman scattering from phonons on each carbon shell reveals the radial charge distribution. A self-consistent tight-binding model confirms the observed molecular Faraday cage effect, i.e., most of the charge resides on the outer wall, even when this wall was originally semiconducting and the inner wall was metallic.

Sub-GeV dark matter detection with electron recoils in carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavoto, G.; Luchetta, F.; Polosa, A. D.

2018-01-01

Directional detection of Dark Matter particles (DM) in the MeV mass range could be accomplished by studying electron recoils in large arrays of parallel carbon nanotubes. In a scattering process with a lattice electron, a DM particle might transfer sufficient energy to eject it from the nanotube surface. An external electric field is added to drive the electron from the open ends of the array to the detection region. The anisotropic response of this detection scheme, as a function of the orientation of the target with respect to the DM wind, is calculated, and it is concluded that no direct measurement of the electron ejection angle is needed to explore significant regions of the light DM exclusion plot. A compact sensor, in which the cathode element is substituted with a dense array of parallel carbon nanotubes, could serve as the basic detection unit.

Vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes as low-cost and high electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Dong, Pei; Pint, Cary L; Hainey, Mel; Mirri, Francesca; Zhan, Yongjie; Zhang, Jing; Pasquali, Matteo; Hauge, Robert H; Verduzco, Rafael; Jiang, Mian; Lin, Hong; Lou, Jun

2011-08-01

A novel dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) structure using vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (VASWCNTs) as the counter electrode has been developed. In this design, the VASWCNTs serve as a stable high surface area and highly active electrocatalytic counter-electrode that could be a promising alternative to the conventional Pt analogue. Utilizing a scalable dry transfer approach to form a VASWCNTs conductive electrode, the DSSCs with various lengths of VASWCNTs were studied. VASWCNTs-DSSC with 34 μm original length was found to be the optimal choice in the present study. The highest conversion efficiencies of VASWCNTs-DSSC achieved 5.5%, which rivals that of the reference Pt DSSC. From the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, it shows that the new DSSC offers lower interface resistance between the electrolyte and the counter electrode. This reproducible work emphasizes the promise of VASWCNTs as efficient and stable counter electrode materials in DSSC device design, especially taking into account the low-cost merit of this promising material.

Electrically conductive polyurethanes for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Charles M.; Nash, M. A.; Poole-Warren, Laura A.

2005-02-01

Electrical interfacing with neural tissue poses significant problems due to host response to the material. This response generally leads to fibrous encapsulation and increased impedance across the electrode. In neural electrodes such as cochlear implants, an elastomeric material like silicone is used as an insulator for the metal electrode. This project ultimately aims to produce a polymer electrode with elastomeric mechanical properties, metal like conductivity and capability. The approach taken was to produce a nanocomposite elastomeric material based on polyurethane (PU) and carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are ideal due to their high aspect ratio as well as being a ballistic conductor. The choice of PU is based on its elastomeric properties, processability and biocompatibility. Multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) were dispersed ultrasonically in various dispersive solutions before being added at up to 20wt% to a 5wt% PU (Pellethane80A) in Dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Films were then solvent cast in a vacuum oven overnight. The resulting films were tested for conductivity using a two-probe technique and mechanically tested using an Instron tensiometer. The percolation threshold (p) of the PU/MWNT films occurred at loadings of between 7 and 10 wt% in this polymer system. Conductivity of the films (above p) was comparable to those for similar systems reported in the literature at up to approximately 7x10-2 Scm-1. Although PU stiffness increased with increased %loading of nanotubes, all composites were highly flexible and maintained elastomeric properties. From these preliminary results we have demonstrated electrical conductivity. So far it is evident that a superior percolation threshold is dependent on the degree of dispersion of the nanotubes. This has prompted work into investigating other preparations of the films, including melt-processing and electrospinning.

Exploring doxorubicin localization in eluting TiO2 nanotube arrays through fluorescence correlation spectroscopy analysis.

PubMed

De Santo, Ilaria; Sanguigno, Luigi; Causa, Filippo; Monetta, Tullio; Netti, Paolo A

2012-11-07

Drug elution properties of TiO(2) nanotube arrays have been largely investigated by means of solely macroscopic observations. Controversial elution performances have been reported so far and a clear comprehension of these phenomena is still missing as a consequence of a lack of molecular investigation methods. Here we propose a way to discern drug elution properties of nanotubes through the evaluation of drug localization by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) analysis. We verified this method upon doxorubicin elution from differently loaded TiO(2) nanotubes. Diverse elution profiles were obtained from nanotubes filled by soaking and wet vacuum impregnation methods. Impregnated nanotubes controlled drug diffusion up to thirty days, while soaked samples completed elution in seven days. FCS analysis of doxorubicin motion in loaded nanotubes clarified that more than 90% of drugs dwell preferentially in inter-nanotube spaces in soaked samples due to decorrelation in a 2D fashion, while a 97% fraction of molecules showed 1D mobility ascribable to displacements along the nanotube vertical axis of wet vacuum impregnated nanotubes. The diverse drug localizations inferred from FCS measurements, together with distinct drug-surface interaction strengths resulting from diverse drug filling techniques, could explain the variability in elution kinetics.

Preferential destruction of metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes by laser irradiation.

PubMed

Huang, Houjin; Maruyama, Ryuichiro; Noda, Kazuhiro; Kajiura, Hisashi; Kadono, Koji

2006-04-13

Upon laser irradiation in air, metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in carbon nanotube thin film can be destroyed in preference to their semiconducting counterparts when the wavelength and power intensity of the irradiation are appropriate and the carbon nanotubes are not heavily bundled. Our method takes advantage of these two species' different rates of photolysis-assisted oxidation, creating the possibility of defining the semiconducting portions of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks using optical lithography, particularly when constructing all-CNT FETs (without metal electrodes) in the future.

Facile Synthesis of Highly Aligned Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes from Polymer Precursors

DOE PAGES

Han, Catherine Y.; Xiao, Zhi-Li; Wang, H. Hau; ...

2009-01-01

We report a facile one-step approach which involves no flammable gas, no catalyst, and no in situ polymerization for the preparation of well-aligned carbon nanotube array. A polymer precursor is placed on top of an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane containing regular nanopore arrays, and slow heating under Ar flow allows the molten polymer to wet the template through adhesive force. The polymer spread into the nanopores of the template to form polymer nanotubes. Upon carbonization the resulting multi-walled carbon nanotubes duplicate the nanopores morphology precisely. The process is demonstrated for 230, 50, and 20 nm pore membranes. The synthesized carbonmore » nanotubes are characterized with scanning/transmission electron microscopies, Raman spectroscopy, and resistive measurements. Convenient functionalization of the nanotubes with this method is demonstrated through premixing CoPt nanoparticles in the polymer precursors.« less

THz generation by laser coupling to carbon nanotube array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, Rakhee; Uma, R.

2018-01-01

A viable scheme of THz radiation generation by beating of two lasers ( ω1 , k→ 1 ; ω2 , k→ 2 ) in a nanotube array, mounted on a dielectric substrate, is proposed and studied. The free electrons of the nanotubes acquire a large oscillatory velocity and experience a beat frequency ponderomotive force that turns nanotubes into oscillating dipole antennae emitting THz radiation. The THz power peaks in directions where a phase difference between fields due to successive nanotubes is integral multiple of 2 π . The THz power is large when the beat frequency equals ωp/√{2 } (where ωp is the electron plasma frequency) and surface plasmon resonance occurs. For our set of laser and carbon nanotube parameters, the generated THz is about 0.1 kW for CO2 laser power of 10 GW and pulse length of a few picoseconds.

Polyoxometalate-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays photoanode materials for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ran; Sun, Zhixia; Zhang, Yuzhuo; Xu, Lin; Li, Na

2017-10-01

In this work, we prepared for the first time the TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) photoanode with polyoxometalate(POMs)-modified TiO2 electron-transport layer for improving the performance of zinc phthalocyanine(ZnPc)-sensitized solar cells. The as-prepared POMs/TNAs/ZnPc composite photoanode exhibited higher photovoltaic performances than the TNAs/ZnPc photoanode, so that the power conversion efficiency of the solar cell device based on the POMs/TNAs/ZnPc photoanode displayed a notable improvement of 45%. These results indicated that the POMs play a key role in reducing charge recombination in phthalocyanine-sensitized solar cells, together with TiO2 nanotube arrays being helpful for electron transport. The mechanism of the performance improvement was demonstrated by the measurements of electrochemical impedance spectra and open-circuit voltage decay curves. Although the resulting performance is still below that of the state-of-the-art dye-sensitized solar cells, this study presents a new insight into improving the power conversion efficiency of phthalocyanine-sensitized solar cells via polyoxometalate-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays photoanode.

Long vertically aligned titania nanotubes on transparent conducting oxide for highly efficient solar cells.

PubMed

Varghese, Oomman K; Paulose, Maggie; Grimes, Craig A

2009-09-01

Dye-sensitized solar cells consist of a random network of titania nanoparticles that serve both as a high-surface-area support for dye molecules and as an electron-transporting medium. Despite achieving high power conversion efficiencies, their performance is limited by electron trapping in the nanoparticle film. Electron diffusion lengths can be increased by transporting charge through highly ordered nanostructures such as titania nanotube arrays. Although titania nanotube array films have been shown to enhance the efficiencies of both charge collection and light harvesting, it has not been possible to grow them on transparent conducting oxide glass with the lengths needed for high-efficiency device applications (tens of micrometres). Here, we report the fabrication of transparent titania nanotube array films on transparent conducting oxide glass with lengths between 0.3 and 33.0 microm using a novel electrochemistry approach. Dye-sensitized solar cells containing these arrays yielded a power conversion efficiency of 6.9%. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency ranged from 70 to 80% for wavelengths between 450 and 650 nm.

Arrays of Carbon Nanotubes as RF Filters in Waveguides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoppe, Daniel; Hunt, Brian; Hoenk, Michael; Noca, Flavio; Xu, Jimmy

2003-01-01

Brushlike arrays of carbon nanotubes embedded in microstrip waveguides provide highly efficient (high-Q) mechanical resonators that will enable ultraminiature radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits. In its basic form, this invention is an RF filter based on a carbon nanotube array embedded in a microstrip (or coplanar) waveguide, as shown in Figure 1. In addition, arrays of these nanotube-based RF filters can be used as an RF filter bank. Applications of this new nanotube array device include a variety of communications and signal-processing technologies. High-Q resonators are essential for stable, low-noise communications, and radar applications. Mechanical oscillators can exhibit orders of magnitude higher Qs than electronic resonant circuits, which are limited by resistive losses. This has motivated the development of a variety of mechanical resonators, including bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators, surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators, and Si and SiC micromachined resonators (known as microelectromechanical systems or MEMS). There is also a strong push to extend the resonant frequencies of these oscillators into the GHz regime of state-of-the-art electronics. Unfortunately, the BAW and SAW devices tend to be large and are not easily integrated into electronic circuits. MEMS structures have been integrated into circuits, but efforts to extend MEMS resonant frequencies into the GHz regime have been difficult because of scaling problems with the capacitively-coupled drive and readout. In contrast, the proposed devices would be much smaller and hence could be more readily incorporated into advanced RF (more specifically, microwave) integrated circuits.

Molecular dynamics simulations of the orientation properties of cytochrome c on the surface of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Zhang, Bing; Xu, Jia; Mo, Shu-Fan; Yao, Jian-Xi; Dai, Song-Yuan

2016-12-01

Electron transfer between cytochrome c (Cytc) and electrodes can be influenced greatly by the orientation of protein on the surface of the electrodes. In the present study, different initial orientations of Cytc on the surface of five types of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), with different diameters and chirality, were constructed. Properties of the orientations of proteins on the surface of these tubes were first investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. It was shown that variations in SWNT diameter do not significantly affect the orientation; however, the chirality of the SWNTs is crucial to the orientation of the heme embedded in Cytc, and the orientation of the protein can consequently be influenced by the heme orientation. A new electron pathway between Cytc and SWNT, which hopefully benefits electron transfer efficiency, has also been proposed. This study promises to provide theoretical guidance for the rational design of bio-sensors or bio-fuel cells by using Cytc-decorated carbon nanotube electrodes.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes/polymer composite electrodes patterned directly from solution.

PubMed

Chang, Jingbo; Najeeb, Choolakadavil Khalid; Lee, Jae-Hyeok; Kim, Jae-Ho

2011-06-07

This work describes a simple technique for direct patterning of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) composite electrodes in a large area on a substrate based on the solution transfer process by microcontact printing using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamps. Various shapes of SWNT/PEDOT-PSS composite patterns, such as line, circle, and square, can be easily fabricated with high pattern fidelity and structural integrity. The single parallel line pattern device exhibits high electrical conductivity (0.75 × 10(5) S/m) and electronic stability because of alignment of nanotubes and big-size SWNT bundles (∼5 nm). The electromechanical study reveals that the composite patterns show ∼1% resistance change along SWNT alignment direction and ∼5% resistance change along vertical alignment direction after 200 bend cycles. Our approach provides a facile, low-cost method to pattern transparent conductive SWNT/polymer composite electrodes and demonstrates a novel platform for future integration of conducting SWNT/polymer composite patterns for optoelectronic applications.

Implementation of a Thick-Film Composite Li-Ion Microcathode Using Carbon Nanotubes as the Conductive Filler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Qian; Harb, John N.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of a thick-film microcathode for use in Li-ion microbatteries in order to provide increased power and energy per area. These cathodes take advantage of a composite porous electrode structure, utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNT) as the conductive filler. The use of carbon nanotubes was found to significantly reduce the measured resistance of the electrodes, increase active material accessibility, and improve electrode performance. In particular, the cycling and power performance of the thick-film cathodes was significantly improved, and the need for compression was eliminated. Cathode thickness and CNT content were optimized to maximize capacity and power performance. Power capability of >50 mW/sq cm (17 mA/sq cm) with discharge capacity of >0.17 mAh/sq cm was demonstrated. The feasibility of fabricating thick-film microcathodes capable of providing the power and capacity needed for use in autonomous microsensor systems was also demonstrated.

Preparations, Properties, and Applications of Periodic Nano Arrays using Anodized Aluminum Oxide and Di-block Copolymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noh, Kunbae

2011-12-01

Self-ordered arrangements observed in various materials systems such as anodic aluminum oxide, polystyrene nanoparticles, and block copolymer are of great interest in terms of providing new opportunities in nanofabrication field where lithographic techniques are broadly used in general. Investigations on self-assembled nano arrays to understand how to obtain periodic nano arrays in an efficient yet inexpensive way, and how to realize advanced material and device systems thereof, can lead to significant impacts on science and technology for many forefront device applications. In this thesis, various aspects of periodic nano-arrays have been discussed including novel preparations, properties and applications of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) and PS-b-P4VP (S4VP) di-block copolymer self-assembly. First, long-range ordered AAO arrays have been demonstrated. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) process allowed a faithful pattern transfer of the imprint mold pattern onto Al thin film, and interesting self-healing and pattern tripling phenomena were observed, which could be applicable towards fabrication of the NIL master mold having highly dense pattern over large area, useful for fabrication of a large-area substrate for predictable positioning of arrayed devices. Second, S4VP diblock copolymer self-assembly and S4VP directed AAO self-assembly have been demonstrated in the Al thin film on Si substrate. Such a novel combination of two dissimilar self-assembly techniques demonstrated a potential as a versatile tool for nanopatterning formation on a Si substrate, capable of being integrated into Si process technology. As exemplary applications, vertically aligned Ni nanowires have been synthesized into an S4VP-guided AAO membrane on a Si substrate in addition to anti-dot structured [Co/Pd]n magnetic multilayer using S4VP self assembly. Third, a highly hexagonally ordered, vertically parallel aluminum oxide nanotube array was successfully fabricated via hard anodization technique. The Al2O3 nanotube arrays so fabricated exhibit a uniform and reproducible dimension, and a quite high aspect ratio of greater than ˜1,000. Such high-aspect-ratio, mechanically robust, large-surface-area nanotube array structure can be useful for many technical applications. As a potential application in biomedical research, drug storage/controlled drug release from such AAO nanotubes was investigated, and the advantageous potential of using AAO nanotubes for biological implant surface coatings alternative to TiO2 nanotubes has been discussed.

Correlation of lattice defects and thermal processing in the crystallization of titania nanotube arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosseinpour, Pegah M.; Yung, Daniel; Panaitescu, Eugen; Heiman, Don; Menon, Latika; Budil, David; Lewis, Laura H.

2014-12-01

Titania nanotubes have the potential to be employed in a wide range of energy-related applications such as solar energy-harvesting devices and hydrogen production. As the functionality of titania nanostructures is critically affected by their morphology and crystallinity, it is necessary to understand and control these factors in order to engineer useful materials for green applications. In this study, electrochemically-synthesized titania nanotube arrays were thermally processed in inert and reducing environments to isolate the role of post-synthesis processing conditions on the crystallization behavior, electronic structure and morphology development in titania nanotubes, correlated with the nanotube functionality. Structural and calorimetric studies revealed that as-synthesized amorphous nanotubes crystallize to form the anatase structure in a three-stage process that is facilitated by the creation of structural defects. It is concluded that processing in a reducing gas atmosphere versus in an inert environment provides a larger unit cell volume and a higher concentration of Ti3+ associated with oxygen vacancies, thereby reducing the activation energy of crystallization. Further, post-synthesis annealing in either reducing or inert atmospheres produces pronounced morphological changes, confirming that the nanotube arrays thermally transform into a porous morphology consisting of a fragmented tubular architecture surrounded by a network of connected nanoparticles. This study links explicit data concerning morphology, crystallization and defects, and shows that the annealing gas environment determines the details of the crystal structure, the electronic structure and the morphology of titania nanotubes. These factors, in turn, impact the charge transport and consequently the functionality of these nanotubes as photocatalysts.

Carbon Nanotube Thread Electrochemical Cell: Detection of Heavy Metals.

PubMed

Zhao, Daoli; Siebold, David; Alvarez, Noe T; Shanov, Vesselin N; Heineman, William R

2017-09-19

In this work, all three electrodes in an electrochemical cell were fabricated based on carbon nanotube (CNT) thread. CNT thread partially insulated with a thin polystyrene coating to define the microelectrode area was used as the working electrode; bare CNT thread was used as the auxiliary electrode; and a micro quasi-reference electrode was fabricated by electroplating CNT thread with Ag and then anodizing it in chloride solution to form a layer of AgCl. The Ag|AgCl coated CNT thread electrode provided a stable potential comparable to the conventional liquid-junction type Ag|AgCl reference electrode. The CNT thread auxiliary electrode provided a stable current, which is comparable to a Pt wire auxiliary electrode. This all-CNT thread three electrode cell has been evaluated as a microsensor for the simultaneous determination of trace levels of heavy metal ions by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). Hg 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Pb 2+ were used as a representative system for this study. The calculated detection limits (based on the 3σ method) with a 120 s deposition time are 1.05, 0.53, and 0.57 nM for Hg 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Pb 2+ , respectively. These electrodes significantly reduce the dimensions of the conventional three electrode electrochemical cell to the microscale.

Helically coiled carbon nanotube forests for use as electrodes in supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childress, Anthony; Ferri, Kevin; Podila, Ramakrishna; Rao, Apparao

Supercapacitors are a class of devices which combine the high energy density of batteries with the power delivery of capacitors, and have benefitted greatly from the incorporation of carbon nanomaterials. In an effort to improve the specific capacitance of these devices, we have produced binder-free electrodes composed of helically coiled carbon nanotube forests grown on stainless steel current collectors with a performance superior to traditional carbon nanomaterials. By virtue of their helicity, the coiled nanotubes provide a greater surface area for energy storage than their straight counterparts, thus improving the specific capacitance. Furthermore, we used an Ar plasma treatment to increase the electronic density of states, and thereby the quantum capacitance, through the introduction of defects.

Pseudocapacitive Effects of N-Doped Carbon Nanotube Electrodes in Supercapacitors

PubMed Central

Yun, Young Soo; Park, Hyun Ho; Jin, Hyoung-Joon

2012-01-01

Nitrogen- and micropore-containing carbon nanotubes (NMCNTs) were prepared by carbonization of nitrogen-enriched, polymer-coated carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and the electrochemical performances of the NMCNTs with different heteroatom contents were investigated. NMCNTs-700 containing 9.1 wt% nitrogen atoms had a capacitance of 190.8 F/g, which was much higher than that of pristine CNTs (48.4 F/g), despite the similar surface area of the two CNTs, and was also higher than that of activated CNTs (151.7 F/g) with a surface area of 778 m2/g and a nitrogen atom content of 1.2 wt%. These results showed that pseudocapacitive effects play an important role in the electrochemical performance of supercapacitor electrodes.

Facile preparation of molecularly imprinted polypyrrole-graphene-multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite film modified electrode for rutin sensing.

PubMed

Yang, Lite; Yang, Juan; Xu, Bingjie; Zhao, Faqiong; Zeng, Baizhao

2016-12-01

In this paper, a novel molecularly imprinted composite film modified electrode was presented for rutin (RT) detection. The modified electrode was fabricated by electropolymerization of pyrrole on a graphene-multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite (G-MWCNTs) coated glassy carbon electrode in the presence of RT. The netlike G-MWCNTs composite, prepared by in situ hydrothermal process, had high conductivity and electrocatalytic activity. At the resulting MIP/G-MWCNTs/GCE electrode RT could produce a sensitive anodic peak in pH 1.87 Britton-Robinson buffer solution. The factors affecting the electrochemical behavior and response of RT on the modified electrode were carefully investigated and optimized. Under the selected conditions, the linear response range of RT was 0.01-1.0μmolL -1 and the detection limit (S/N=3) was 5.0nmolL -1 . The electrode was successfully applied to the determination of RT in buckwheat tea and orange juice samples, and the recoveries for standards added were 93.4-105%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Construction of novel sensitive electrochemical sensor for electro-oxidation and determination of citalopram based on zinc oxide nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Ghaedi, Hamed; Afkhami, Abbas; Madrakian, Tayyebeh; Soltani-Felehgari, Farzaneh

2016-02-01

A new chemically modified carbon paste electrode (CMCPE) was applied to the simple, rapid, highly selective and sensitive determination of citalopram in human serum and pharmaceutical preparations using adsorptive square wave voltammetry (ASWV). The ZnO nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified CPE (ZnO-MWCNT/CPE) electrode was prepared by incorporation of the ZnO nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in carbon paste electrode. The limit of detection and the linear range were found to be 0.005 and 0.012 to 1.54μmolL(-1) of citalopram, respectively. The effects of potentially interfering substances on the determination of this compound were investigated and found that the electrode is highly selective. The proposed CMCPE was used to the determination of citalopram in human serum, urine and pharmaceutical samples. This reveals that ZnO-MWCNT/CPE shows excellent analytical performance for the determination of citalopram in terms of very low detection limit, high sensitivity, very good repeatability and reproducibility over other methods reported in the literature. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Virtual electrodes for high-density electrode arrays

DOEpatents

Cela, Carlos J.; Lazzi, Gianluca

2015-10-13

The present embodiments are directed to implantable electrode arrays having virtual electrodes. The virtual electrodes may improve the resolution of the implantable electrode array without the burden of corresponding complexity of electronic circuitry and wiring. In a particular embodiment, a virtual electrode may include one or more passive elements to help steer current to a specific location between the active electrodes. For example, a passive element may be a metalized layer on a substrate that is adjacent to, but not directly connected to an active electrode. In certain embodiments, an active electrode may be directly coupled to a power source via a conductive connection. Beneficially, the passive elements may help to increase the overall resolution of the implantable array by providing additional stimulation points without requiring additional wiring or driver circuitry for the passive elements.

Skeleton/skin structured (RGO/CNTs)@PANI composite fiber electrodes with excellent mechanical and electrochemical performance for all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors.

PubMed

Liu, Dong; Du, Pengcheng; Wei, Wenli; Wang, Hongxing; Wang, Qi; Liu, Peng

2018-03-01

Polyaniline coated reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotube composite fibers ((RGO/CNTs)@PANI, RCP) with skeleton/skin structure are designed as fiber-shaped electrodes for high performance all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitor. The one-dimensional reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotube composite fibers (RGO/CNTs, RC) are prepared via a simple in-situ reduction of graphene oxide in presence of carbon nanotubes in quartz glass pipes, which exhibit excellent mechanical performance of >193.4 MPa of tensile strength. Then polyaniline is coated onto the RC fibers by electrodepositing technique. The electrochemical properties of the RCP fiber-shaped electrodes are optimized by adjusting the feeding ratio of carbon nanotubes. The optimized one exhibits good electrochemical characteristic such as highest volumetric specific capacitance of 193.1 F cm -3 at 1 A cm -3 , as well as excellent cyclic retention of 92.60% after 2000 cyclic voltammetry cycles. Furthermore, the all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitor, fabricated by using the final composite fiber as both positive and negative electrodes pre-coated with the poly(vinyl alcohol)/H 2 SO 4 gel polyelectrolyte, possesses volumetric capacitance of 36.7 F cm -3 at 0.2 A cm -3 and could light up a red light-emitting diode easily. The excellent mechanical and electrochemical performances make the designed supercapacitor as promising high performance wearable energy storage device. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated fast assembly of free-standing lithium titanate/carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber hybrid network film as flexible paper-electrode for lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Cao, Shaomei; Feng, Xin; Song, Yuanyuan; Xue, Xin; Liu, Hongjiang; Miao, Miao; Fang, Jianhui; Shi, Liyi

2015-05-27

A free-standing lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12)/carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber hybrid network film is successfully assembled by using a pressure-controlled aqueous extrusion process, which is highly efficient and easily to scale up from the perspective of disposable and recyclable device production. This hybrid network film used as a lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrode has a dual-layer structure consisting of Li4Ti5O12/carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber composites (hereinafter referred to as LTO/CNT/CNF), and carbon nanotube/cellulose nanofiber composites (hereinafter referred to as CNT/CNF). In the heterogeneous fibrous network of the hybrid film, CNF serves simultaneously as building skeleton and a biosourced binder, which substitutes traditional toxic solvents and synthetic polymer binders. Of importance here is that the CNT/CNF layer is used as a lightweight current collector to replace traditional heavy metal foils, which therefore reduces the total mass of the electrode while keeping the same areal loading of active materials. The free-standing network film with high flexibility is easy to handle, and has extremely good conductivity, up to 15.0 S cm(-1). The flexible paper-electrode for LIBs shows very good high rate cycling performance, and the specific charge/discharge capacity values are up to 142 mAh g(-1) even at a current rate of 10 C. On the basis of the mild condition and fast assembly process, a CNF template fulfills multiple functions in the fabrication of paper-electrode for LIBs, which would offer an ever increasing potential for high energy density, low cost, and environmentally friendly flexible electronics.

Comparative study of all-printed polyimide humidity sensors with single- and multiwalled carbon nanotube gas-permeable top electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, Eiji; Yuan, Zihan

2017-05-01

We have developed printed capacitive humidity sensors with highly gas permeable carbon nanotube top electrodes using solution techniques. The hydrophobic, porous multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) network was suitable for gas permeation, and the response of the capacitive humidity sensors was faster than that of a device with a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) top electrode. The newly developed measurement system consisting of a small measurement chamber, a computer-controlled high-speed solenoid valve, and a mass-flow controller enabled us to vary the ambient relative humidity within 0.1 s. A comparative study of the devices consisting of a 1.1-µm-thick partially fluorinated polyimide dielectric layer and an MWCNT or SWCNT top electrode revealed that the rise time (humidification process) of the device with MWCNTs (0.49 s) in the transient measurement was almost 3 times shorter than that with SWCNTs (1.48 s) owing to the hydrophobic surface of the MWCNTs. A much larger difference was observed during the drying process (recovery time) probably owing to the hydrophilic parts of the SWCNT surface. It was revealed that the response time was almost proportional to the square of the thickness of the polyimide dielectric layer, d, and the sensitivity was inversely proportional to d. The rise time decreased to 0.15 s and a sensitivity per unit area of 12.1 pF %RH-1 cm-2 was obtained in a device with 0.6-µm-thick polyimide and MWCNT top electrodes. This value is suitable for use in high-speed humidity sensors to realize a real-time humidity and breath-sensing measurement system.

Theory of Carbon Nanotube (CNT)-Based Electron Field Emitters

PubMed Central

Bocharov, Grigory S.; Eletskii, Alexander V.

2013-01-01

Theoretical problems arising in connection with development and operation of electron field emitters on the basis of carbon nanotubes are reviewed. The physical aspects of electron field emission that underlie the unique emission properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered. Physical effects and phenomena affecting the emission characteristics of CNT cathodes are analyzed. Effects given particular attention include: the electric field amplification near a CNT tip with taking into account the shape of the tip, the deviation from the vertical orientation of nanotubes and electrical field-induced alignment of those; electric field screening by neighboring nanotubes; statistical spread of the parameters of the individual CNTs comprising the cathode; the thermal effects resulting in degradation of nanotubes during emission. Simultaneous consideration of the above-listed effects permitted the development of the optimization procedure for CNT array in terms of the maximum reachable emission current density. In accordance with this procedure, the optimum inter-tube distance in the array depends on the region of the external voltage applied. The phenomenon of self-misalignment of nanotubes in an array has been predicted and analyzed in terms of the recent experiments performed. A mechanism of degradation of CNT-based electron field emitters has been analyzed consisting of the bombardment of the emitters by ions formed as a result of electron impact ionization of the residual gas molecules. PMID:28348342

N- and C-Modified TiO2 Nanotube Arrays: Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Properties and Effect of Nanotubes Length on Photoconversion Efficiency

PubMed Central

Mohamed, Ahmed El Ruby; Barghi, Shahzad

2018-01-01

In this investigation, a new, facile, low cost and environmental-friendly method was introduced to fabricate N- and C-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays by immersing the as-anodized TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) in a urea aqueous solution with mechanical agitation for a short time and keeping the TNTAs immersed in the solution for 6 h at room temperature. Then, the TNTAs were annealed at different temperatures. The produced N-, C-modified TNTAs were characterized using FESEM, EDX, XRD, XPS, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra. Modified optical properties with narrow band gap energy, Eg, of 2.65 eV was obtained after annealing the modified TNTAs at 550 °C. Modified TNTAs showed enhanced photoelectochemical performance. Photoconversion efficiency (PCE) was increased from 4.35% for pristine (unmodified) TNTAs to 5.18% for modified TNTAs, an increase of 19%. Effect of nanotubes length of modified TNTAs on photoelectrochemical performance was also studied. Photocurrent density and PCE were increased by increasing nanotube length with a maximum PCE of 6.38% for nanotube length of 55 µm. This high PCE value was attributed to: band gap reduction due to C- and N-modification of TNTAs surface, increased surface area of long TNTAs compared with short TNTAs, investigated in previous studies. PMID:29597248

Surgical implications of perimodiolar cochlear implant electrode design: avoiding intracochlear damage and scala vestibuli insertion.

PubMed

Briggs, R J; Tykocinski, M; Saunders, E; Hellier, W; Dahm, M; Pyman, B; Clark, G M

2001-09-01

To review the mechanisms and nature of intracochlear damage associated with cochlear implant electrode array insertion, in particular, the various perimodiolar electrode designs. Make recommendations regarding surgical techniques for the Nucleus Contour electrode to ensure correct position and minimal insertion trauma. The potential advantages of increased modiolar proximity of intracochlear multichannel electrode arrays are a reduction in stimulation thresholds, an increase in dynamic range and more localized neural excitation. This may improve speech perception and reduce power consumption. These advantages may be negated if increased intracochlear damage results from the method used to position the electrodes close to the modiolus. A review of the University of Melbourne Department of Otolaryngology experience with temporal bone safety studies using the Nucleus standard straight electrode array and a variety of perimodiolar electrode array designs; comparison with temporal bone insertion studies from other centres and postmortem histopathology studies reported in the literature. Review of our initial clinical experience using the Nucleus Contour electrode array. The nature of intracochlear damage resulting from electrode insertion trauma ranges from minor, localized, spiral ligament tear to diffuse organ of Corti disruption and osseous spiral lamina fracture. The type of damage depends on the mechanical characteristics of the electrode array, the stiffness, curvature and size of the electrode in relation to the scala, and the surgical technique. The narrow, flexible, straight arrays are the least traumatic. Pre-curved or stiffer arrays are associated with an incidence of basilar membrane perforation. The cochleostomy must be correctly sited in relation to the round window to ensure scala tympani insertion. A cochleostomy anterior to the round window rather than inferior may lead to scala media or scala vestibuli insertion. Proximity of electrodes to the modiolus can be achieved without intracochlear damage provided the electrode array is a free fit within the scala, of appropriate size and shape, and accurate scala tympani insertion is performed.

Polymer-assisted deposition of films and preparation of carbon nanotube arrays using the films

DOEpatents

Luo, Hongmei; Li, Qingwen; Bauer, Eve; Burrell, Anthony Keiran; McCleskey, Thomas Mark; Jia, Quanxi

2013-07-16

Carbon nanotubes were prepared by coating a substrate with a coating solution including a suitable solvent, a soluble polymer, a metal precursor having a first metal selected from iron, nickel, cobalt, and molybdenum, and optionally a second metal selected from aluminum and magnesium, and also a binding agent that forms a complex with the first metal and a complex with the second metal. The coated substrate was exposed to a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperature, and then to a hydrocarbon in the reducing atmosphere. The result was decomposition of the polymer and formation of carbon nanotubes on the substrate. The carbon nanotubes were often in the form of an array on the substrate.

Electrochemical selective detection of dopamine on microbial carbohydrate-doped multiwall carbon nanotube-modified electrodes.

PubMed

Jin, Joon-Hyung; Cho, Eunae; Jung, Seunho

2010-03-01

Microbial carbohydrate-doped multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT)-modified electrodes were prepared for the purpose of determining if 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzene-1,2-diol (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine; dopamine) exists in the presence of 0.5 mM ascorbic acid, a representative interfering agent in neurotransmitter detection. The microbial carbohydrate dopants were alpha-cyclosophorohexadecaose (alpha-C16) from Xanthomonas oryzae and cyclic-(1 --> 2)-beta-d-glucan (Cys) from Rhizobium meliloti. The cyclic voltammetric responses showed that the highest sensitivity (5.8 x 10(-3) mA cm(-2) microM(-1)) is attained with the Cys-doped MWNT-modified ultra-trace carbon electrode, and that the alpha-C16-doped MWNT-modified glassy carbon electrode displays the best selectivity to dopamine (the approximate peak potential separation is 310 mV).

Method of fabricating electrode catalyst layers with directionally oriented carbon support for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

DOEpatents

Liu, Di-Jia; Yang, Junbing

2010-07-20

A method of making a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) having an anode and a cathode and a proton conductive membrane there between. A bundle of longitudinally aligned carbon nanotubes with a catalytically active transition metal incorporated in the nanotubes forms at least one portion of the MEA and is in contact with the membrane. A combination selected from one or more of a hydrocarbon and an organometallic compound containing an catalytically active transition metal and a nitrogen containing compound and an inert gas and a reducing gas is introduced into a first reaction zone maintained at a first reaction temperature for a time sufficient to vaporize material therein. The vaporized material is transmitted to a second reaction zone maintained at a second reaction temperature for a time sufficient to grow longitudinally aligned carbon nanotubes with a catalytically active transition metal incorporated throughout the nanotubes. The nanotubes are in contact with a portion of the MEA at production or being positioned in contact thereafter. Methods of forming a PEMFC are also disclosed.

3D-nanostructured boron-doped diamond for microelectrode array neural interfacing.

PubMed

Piret, Gaëlle; Hébert, Clément; Mazellier, Jean-Paul; Rousseau, Lionel; Scorsone, Emmanuel; Cottance, Myline; Lissorgues, Gaelle; Heuschkel, Marc O; Picaud, Serge; Bergonzo, Philippe; Yvert, Blaise

2015-06-01

The electrode material is a key element in the design of long-term neural implants and neuroprostheses. To date, the ideal electrode material offering high longevity, biocompatibility, low-noise recording and high stimulation capabilities remains to be found. We show that 3D-nanostructured boron doped diamond (BDD), an innovative material consisting in a chemically stable material with a high aspect ratio structure obtained by encapsulation of a carbon nanotube template within two BDD nanolayers, allows neural cell attachment, survival and neurite extension. Further, we developed arrays of 20-μm-diameter 3D-nanostructured BDD microelectrodes for neural interfacing. These microelectrodes exhibited low impedances and low intrinsic recording noise levels. In particular, they allowed the detection of low amplitude (10-20 μV) local-field potentials, single units and multiunit bursts neural activity in both acute whole embryonic hindbrain-spinal cord preparations and long-term hippocampal cell cultures. Also, cyclic voltammetry measurements showed a wide potential window of about 3 V and a charge storage capacity of 10 mC.cm(-2), showing high potentiality of this material for neural stimulation. These results demonstrate the attractiveness of 3D-nanostructured BDD as a novel material for neural interfacing, with potential applications for the design of biocompatible neural implants for the exploration and rehabilitation of the nervous system. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Electrodynamic Arrays Having Nanomaterial Electrodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trigwell, Steven (Inventor); Biris, Alexandru S. (Inventor); Calle, Carlos I. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

An electrodynamic array of conductive nanomaterial electrodes and a method of making such an electrodynamic array. In one embodiment, a liquid solution containing nanomaterials is deposited as an array of conductive electrodes on a substrate, including rigid or flexible substrates such as fabrics, and opaque or transparent substrates. The nanomaterial electrodes may also be grown in situ. The nanomaterials may include carbon nanomaterials, other organic or inorganic nanomaterials or mixtures.

Carbon Nanotube Array for Infrared Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-28

Scientific Progress Technology Transfer 1    Carbon Nanotube Array for Infrared Detection Final Report Jimmy Xu...devices. In contrast to photocarrier generation across a band gap, nature’s bolometers convert infrared radiation into heating of tissues thereby...been investigated. [5, 6] High TCR is, however, not the only important parameter for bolometric sensing. Heat capacity, thermal conductivity

Ion manipulation method and device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Gordon A.; Baker, Erin M.; Smith, Richard D.

2017-11-07

An ion manipulation method and device is disclosed. The device includes a pair of substantially parallel surfaces. An array of inner electrodes is contained within, and extends substantially along the length of, each parallel surface. The device includes a first outer array of electrodes and a second outer array of electrodes. Each outer array of electrodes is positioned on either side of the inner electrodes, and is contained within and extends substantially along the length of each parallel surface. A DC voltage is applied to the first and second outer array of electrodes. A RF voltage, with a superimposed electricmore » field, is applied to the inner electrodes by applying the DC voltages to each electrode. Ions either move between the parallel surfaces within an ion confinement area or along paths in the direction of the electric field, or can be trapped in the ion confinement area.« less

Ion manipulation device

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Gordon A.; Baker, Erin M.; Smith, Richard D.

2018-05-08

An ion manipulation method and device is disclosed. The device includes a pair of substantially parallel surfaces. An array of inner electrodes is contained within, and extends substantially along the length of, each parallel surface. The device includes a first outer array of electrodes and a second outer array of electrodes. Each outer array of electrodes is positioned on either side of the inner electrodes, and is contained within and extends substantially along the length of each parallel surface. A DC voltage is applied to the first and second outer array of electrodes. A RF voltage, with a superimposed electricmore » field, is applied to the inner electrodes by applying the DC voltages to each electrode. Ions either move between the parallel surfaces within an ion confinement area or along paths in the direction of the electric field, or can be trapped in the ion confinement area.« less

Multifunctional Structural-energy Storage Nanocomposites for Ultra Lightweight Micro Autonomous Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

supplement the main power supply. Here we report on the use of flexible carbon nanotube (CNT)-based composites for multifunctional structural energy storage...TERMS Micro vehicle, Supercapacitor, Carbon Nanotubes , CNTs, Energy Storage, Multifunctional Materials 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17...consists of a current collector, a porous electrode layer ( carbon nanotubes [CNTs], in this case) infiltrated with an electrolyte (i.e., a liquid

Simultaneous quantification of arginine, alanine, methionine and cysteine amino acids in supplements using a novel bioelectro-nanosensor based on CdSe quantum dot/modified carbon nanotube hollow fiber pencil graphite electrode via Taguchi method.

PubMed

Hooshmand, Sara; Es'haghi, Zarrin

2017-11-30

A number of four amino acids have been simultaneously determined at CdSe quantum dot-modified/multi-walled carbon nanotube hollow fiber pencil graphite electrode in different bodybuilding supplements. CdSe quantum dots were synthesized and applied to construct a modified carbon nanotube hollow fiber pencil graphite electrode. FT-IR, TEM, XRD and EDAX methods were applied for characterization of the synthesized CdSe QDs. The electro-oxidation of arginine (Arg), alanine (Ala), methionine (Met) and cysteine (Cys) at the surface of the modified electrode was studied. Then the Taguchi's method was applied using MINITAB 17 software to find out the optimum conditions for the amino acids determination. Under the optimized conditions, the differential pulse (DP) voltammetric peak currents of Arg, Ala, Met and Cys increased linearly with their concentrations in the ranges of 0.287-33670μM and detection limits of 0.081, 0.158, 0.094 and 0.116μM were obtained for them, respectively. Satisfactory results were achieved for calibration and validation sets. The prepared modified electrode represents a very good resolution between the voltammetric peaks of the four amino acids which makes it suitable for the detection of each in presence of others in real samples. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Bismuth oxide nanotubes-graphene fiber-based flexible supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopalsamy, Karthikeyan; Xu, Zhen; Zheng, Bingna; Huang, Tieqi; Kou, Liang; Zhao, Xiaoli; Gao, Chao

2014-07-01

Graphene-bismuth oxide nanotube fiber as electrode material for constituting flexible supercapacitors using a PVA/H3PO4 gel electrolyte is reported with a high specific capacitance (Ca) of 69.3 mF cm-2 (for a single electrode) and 17.3 mF cm-2 (for the whole device) at 0.1 mA cm-2, respectively. Our approach opens the door to metal oxide-graphene hybrid fibers and high-performance flexible electronics.Graphene-bismuth oxide nanotube fiber as electrode material for constituting flexible supercapacitors using a PVA/H3PO4 gel electrolyte is reported with a high specific capacitance (Ca) of 69.3 mF cm-2 (for a single electrode) and 17.3 mF cm-2 (for the whole device) at 0.1 mA cm-2, respectively. Our approach opens the door to metal oxide-graphene hybrid fibers and high-performance flexible electronics. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Equations and characterization. SEM images of GGO, XRD and XPS of Bi2O3 NTs, HRTEM images and EDX Spectra of Bi2O3 NT5-GF, CV curves of Bi2O3NT5-GF, Bi2O3 NTs and bismuth nitrate in three-electrode system (vs. Ag/AgCl). CV and GCD curves of Bi2O3 NT1-GF and Bi2O3 NT3-GF. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr02615b

Biofuel cells based on direct enzyme-electrode contacts using PQQ-dependent glucose dehydrogenase/bilirubin oxidase and modified carbon nanotube materials.

PubMed

Scherbahn, V; Putze, M T; Dietzel, B; Heinlein, T; Schneider, J J; Lisdat, F

2014-11-15

Two types of carbon nanotube electrodes (1) buckypaper (BP) and (2) vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (vaCNT) have been used for elaboration of glucose/O2 enzymatic fuel cells exploiting direct electron transfer. For the anode pyrroloquinoline quinone dependent glucose dehydrogenase ((PQQ)GDH) has been immobilized on [poly(3-aminobenzoic acid-co-2-methoxyaniline-5-sulfonic acid), PABMSA]-modified electrodes. For the cathode bilirubin oxidase (BOD) has been immobilized on PQQ-modified electrodes. PABMSA and PQQ act as promoter for enzyme bioelectrocatalysis. The voltammetric characterization of each electrode shows current densities in the range of 0.7-1.3 mA/cm(2). The BP-based fuel cell exhibits maximal power density of about 107 µW/cm(2) (at 490 mV). The vaCNT-based fuel cell achieves a maximal power density of 122 µW/cm(2) (at 540 mV). Even after three days and several runs of load a power density over 110 µW/cm(2) is retained with the second system (10mM glucose). Due to a better power exhibition and an enhanced stability of the vaCNT-based fuel cells they have been studied in human serum samples and a maximal power density of 41 µW/cm(2) (390 mV) can be achieved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low-temperature crystallization of anodized TiO2 nanotubes at the solid-gas interface and their photoelectrochemical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jing; Liu, Zhaoyue; Zhang, Tierui; Zhai, Jin; Jiang, Lei

2013-06-01

TiO2 nanotubular arrays formed by electrochemical anodization have attracted significant attention for photoelectrochemical applications that utilize solar energy. However, the as-anodized TiO2 nanotubes are amorphous, and need to be crystallized by high-temperature thermal annealing. Herein, we describe a low-temperature hydrothermal solid-gas route to crystallize TiO2 nanotubes. In this process, the as-anodized TiO2 hydroxo nanotubes are dehydrated to yield anatase phase via solid-gas interface reaction in an autoclave at a temperature of less than 180 °C. The solid-gas interface reaction alleviates the collapse of as-anodized TiO2 nanotubes during hydrothermal process efficiently. Compared with the common thermal annealing at the same temperature but at atmospheric pressure, the hydrothermal route improves the photocurrent density of TiO2 nanotubes by ~10 times in KOH electrolyte. The duration of the hydrothermal reaction has a substantial effect on the photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes, which is ascribed to the synergetic effect between the crystallization and structural evolution. Electron donors can further suppress the charge recombination in the low-temperature crystallized TiO2 nanotubes and boost the photocurrent density by ~120%.TiO2 nanotubular arrays formed by electrochemical anodization have attracted significant attention for photoelectrochemical applications that utilize solar energy. However, the as-anodized TiO2 nanotubes are amorphous, and need to be crystallized by high-temperature thermal annealing. Herein, we describe a low-temperature hydrothermal solid-gas route to crystallize TiO2 nanotubes. In this process, the as-anodized TiO2 hydroxo nanotubes are dehydrated to yield anatase phase via solid-gas interface reaction in an autoclave at a temperature of less than 180 °C. The solid-gas interface reaction alleviates the collapse of as-anodized TiO2 nanotubes during hydrothermal process efficiently. Compared with the common thermal annealing at the same temperature but at atmospheric pressure, the hydrothermal route improves the photocurrent density of TiO2 nanotubes by ~10 times in KOH electrolyte. The duration of the hydrothermal reaction has a substantial effect on the photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes, which is ascribed to the synergetic effect between the crystallization and structural evolution. Electron donors can further suppress the charge recombination in the low-temperature crystallized TiO2 nanotubes and boost the photocurrent density by ~120%. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Morphology images of TiO2 nanotubular arrays crystallized by hydrothermal solid-liquid reaction at 130 °C, 160 °C and 180 °C for 4 h. Cross-sectional image of TiO2 nanotubular arrays prepared by anodizing Ti foil at 20 V for 20 min in 0.5 wt% HF solution followed by drying in air at 100 °C for 1 h; Photocurrent density-potential curves of TiO2 nanotubular arrays crystallized by thermal annealing at 450 °C and atmospheric pressure for 4 h. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr01286g

Stretchable Fiber Supercapacitors with High Volumetric Performance Based on Buckled MnO2 /Oxidized Carbon Nanotube Fiber Electrodes.

PubMed

Li, Mingyang; Zu, Mei; Yu, Jinshan; Cheng, Haifeng; Li, Qingwen

2017-03-01

A stretchable fiber supercapacitor (SC) based on buckled MnO 2 /oxidized carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber electrode is fabricated by a simple prestraining-then-buckling method. The prepared stretchable fiber SC has a specific volumetric capacitance up to 409.4 F cm -3 , which is 33 times that of the pristine CNT fiber based SC, and shows the outstanding stability and repeatability in performance as a stretchable SC. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Activated carbon and single-walled carbon nanotube based electrochemical capacitor in 1 M LiPF{sub 6} electrolyte

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Azam, M.A., E-mail: asyadi@utem.edu.my; Jantan, N.H.; Dorah, N.

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Activated carbon and single-walled CNT based electrochemical capacitor. • Electrochemical analysis by means of CV, charge/discharge and impedance. • 1 M LiPF{sub 6} non-aqueous solution as an electrolyte. • AC/SWCNT electrode exhibits a maximum capacitance of 60.97 F g{sup −1}. - Abstract: Carbon nanotubes have been extensively studied because of their wide range of potential application such as in nanoscale electric circuits, textiles, transportation, health, and the environment. Carbon nanotubes feature extraordinary properties, such as electrical conductivities higher than those of copper, hardness and thermal conductivity higher than those of diamond, and strength surpassing that of steel, amongmore » others. This research focuses on the fabrication of an energy storage device, namely, an electrochemical capacitor, by using carbon materials, i.e., activated carbon and single-walled carbon nanotubes, of a specific weight ratio as electrode materials. The electrolyte functioning as an ion carrier is 1 M lithium hexafluorophosphate. Variations in the electrochemical performance of the device, including its capacitance, charge/discharge characteristics, and impedance, are reported in this paper. The electrode proposed in this work exhibits a maximum capacitance of 60.97 F g{sup −1} at a scan rate of 1 mV s{sup −1}.« less

Biobatteries and biofuel cells with biphenylated carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolarczyk, Krzysztof; Kizling, Michał; Majdecka, Dominika; Żelechowska, Kamila; Biernat, Jan F.; Rogalski, Jerzy; Bilewicz, Renata

2014-03-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) covalently biphenylated are used for the construction of cathodes in a flow biobattery and in flow biofuel cell. Zinc covered with a hopeite layer is the anode in the biobattery and glassy carbon electrode covered with bioconjugates of single-walled carbon nanotubes with glucose oxidase and catalase is the anode of the biofuel cell. The potentials of the electrodes are measured vs. the Ag/AgCl reference electrode under changing loads of the fuel cell/biobattery. The power density of the biobattery with biphenylated nanotubes at the cathode is ca. 0.6 mW cm-2 and the open circuit potential is ca. 1.6 V. In order to obtain larger power densities and voltages three biobatteries are connected in a series which leads to the open circuit potential of ca. 4.8 V and power density 2.1 mW cm-2 at 3.9 V under 100 kΩ load. The biofuel cell shows power densities of ca. 60 μW cm-2 at 20 kΩ external resistance but the open circuit potential for such biofuel cell is only 0.5 V. The biobattery showing significantly larger power densities and open circuit voltages are especially useful for testing novel cathodes and applications such as powering units for clocks and sensing devices.

A 100 electrode intracortical array: structural variability.

PubMed

Campbell, P K; Jones, K E; Normann, R A

1990-01-01

A technique has been developed for fabricating three dimensional "hair brush" electrode arrays from monocrystalline silicon blocks. Arrays consist of a square pattern of 100 penetrating electrodes, with 400 microns interelectrode spacing. Each electrode is 1.5mm in length and tapers from about 100 microns at its base to a sharp point at the tip. The tips of each electrode are coated with platinum and the entire structure, with the exception of the tips, is insulated with polyimide. Electrical connection to selected electrodes is made by wire bonding polyimide insulated 25 microns diameter gold lead wires to bonding pads on the rear surface of the array. As the geometrical characteristics of the electrodes in such an aray will influence their electrical properties (such as impedance, capacitance, spreading resistance in an electrolyte, etc.) it is desirable that such an array have minimal variability in geometry from electrode to electrode. A study was performed to determine the geometrical variability resulting from our micromachining techniques. Measurements of the diameter of each of the 100 electrodes were made at various planes above the silicon substrate of the array. For the array that was measured, the standard deviation of the diameters was approximately 9% of the mean diameter near the tip, 8% near the middle, and 6% near the base. We describe fabrication techniques which should further reduce these variabilities.