In Situ TEM Investigations of the Interface Behavior Between Carbon Nanotubes and Metals

Carbon nanotubes (NTs) have novel electronic properties and exceptionally high Young's moduli on the order of TPa. so NTs have potential applications in advanced composite materials such as conductive polymers, electromagnetic-radio frequency interference (EMI/RFI) shielding material and opto-electronic materials. The utility of the nanotubes in composite applications depends strongly on the ability to disperse the NTs homogeneously throughout the matrix without destroying the integrity of the NTs. Furthermore, interfacial bonding between the NT and matrix is necessary to achieve load transfer across the interface, which is desirable for improving the mechanical properties of polymer composites.In this work, aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) produced by continuous chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (see Fig.l), were homogeneously dispersed in polystyrene (PS) matrices by a simple solution-evaporation method. Using this procedure, we made uniform MWNT-PS composite films ∼0.4mm thick for ex-situ mechanical tensile test and very thin films, ∼100nm, for in-situ TEM tests, as shown in Fig.2.

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Nanomeasurements of individual carbon nanotubes by in situ TEM

Pure and Applied Chemistry ◽

10.1351/pac200072010209 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 72 (1-2) ◽

pp. 209-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

Z. L. Wang ◽

P. Poncharal ◽

W. A. de Heer

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nanotubes ◽

Complete Characterization ◽

Atomic Scale ◽

In Situ Tem ◽

Mechanical And Electrical Properties ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Electron Field

Property characterization of nanomaterials is challenged by the small size of the structure because of the difficulties in manipulation. Here we demonstrate a novel approach that allows a direct measurement of the mechanical and electrical properties of individual nanotube-like structures by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The technique is powerful in a way that it can be directly correlated to the atomic-scale microstructure of the carbon nanotube with its physical properties, thus providing a complete characterization of the nanotube. Applications of the technique will be demonstrated in measurements of the mechanical properties, the electron field emission, and the ballistic quantum conductance of individual carbon nanotubes. A nanobalance technique is demonstrated that can be applied to measure the mass of a single tiny particle as light as 22 fg (1 f = 10-15 ).

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In Situ TEM Observation of Electrochemical Lithiation of Sulfur Confined within Inner Cylindrical Pores of Carbon Nanotubes

Advanced Energy Materials ◽

10.1002/aenm.201501306 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (24) ◽

pp. 1501306 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Hyea Kim ◽

Jung Tae Lee ◽

Alexandre Magasinski ◽

Kejie Zhao ◽

Yang Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nanotubes ◽

In Situ Tem ◽

Electrochemical Lithiation ◽

Cylindrical Pores

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In Situ TEM Study on the Electrical and Field-Emission Properties of Individual Fe3C-Filled Carbon Nanotubes

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C ◽

10.1021/jp309121f ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 116 (43) ◽

pp. 23175-23179 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Qingmei Su ◽

Jie Li ◽

Gaohui Du ◽

Bingshe Xu

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nanotubes ◽

Field Emission ◽

In Situ Tem ◽

Emission Properties ◽

Field Emission Properties

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In-situ Fluid Experiments in Carbon Nanotubes

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-633-a7.4 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 633 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yury Gogotsi ◽

Joseph A. Libera ◽

Almila GüvenÇ Yazicioglu ◽

Constantine M. Megaridis

Keyword(s):

Carbon Nanotubes ◽

Fluid Transport ◽

High Vacuum ◽

Interface Behavior ◽

Multi Wall Carbon Nanotubes ◽

Carbon Tube ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Experimental Apparatus ◽

Multi Phase

AbstractClosed-end multi-wall carbon nanotubes, which contain an encapsulated aqueous multi-phase fluidunder high pressure, have been produced by hydrothermal synthesis. These nanotubes are leak-tight by virtue of holding the fluid at the high vacuum of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and can be used as a testplatform for unique in-situ nanofluidic experiments in TEM. They form an experimental apparatus, which is at least two orders of magnitude smaller than the smallest capillaries used in fluidic experiments so far. Excellent wettability of the carbon tube walls by the liquid and a dynamic behavior similar to that in micro-capillaries demonstrates the possibility of use of nanoscale (<100 nm) tubes in nanofluidic devices.However, complex interface behavior that can potentially create hurdles to fluid transport is also demonstratedherein.

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