• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.132-136
• /
• 2018

We report the development of a room-temperature hydrogen ($H_2$) gas sensor based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) yarn. To detect $H_2$ gas in room temperature, a highly ordered CNT yarn was placed on a substrate from a spin-capable CNT forest, followed by the deposition of a platinum (Pt) layer on surface of the CNT yarn. To examine the effect of the Pt-layer on the response of the CNT sensor, a comparative sensing performance was characterized on both the Pt deposited and non-deposited CNT yarn at room temperature. The Pt-CNT yarn yielded high response, whereas the non-deposited CNT yarn showed negligible response for $H_2$ detection at room temperature. Pt is a reliable and efficient catalyst that can substantially improve the detection of $H_2$ gas by chemical sensitization via a "spillover" effect. It can be efficiently utilized to increase the sensitivity and selectivity as well as to obtain fast response and recovery times.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2009.05a
• /
• pp.32.1-32.1
• /
• 2009

현재 ITO를 대체할 재료로 투명 전도성 탄소나노튜브(carbon nanotube, CNT) 필름에 대한 연구가 진행 되고 있다. 이러한 연구에서 특히 CNT 필름의 투과도에 따른 전기저항을 향상시키기 위한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 단일벽 CNT (single-walled CNT)를 여러 가지 계면활성제로 최적 분산시킨 수용액으로부터 제조한 CNT 필름의 투과도에 따른 면 저항 (sheet resistance) 변화를 관찰하였다. 우선 계면활성제로 분산시킨 CNT 수용액을 알루미나 재질의 필터에서 정량적으로 진공 필터링하여 CNT 필름을 제조하였다. 알루미나 필터를 sodium hydroxide (NaOH) 수용액으로 용해시켜 제거함으로써 얻은 CNT 필름을 유리기판 위에 부착시켰다. 필름의 전기저항을 낮추기 위해 유리기판 위에 부착된 CNT 필름을 질산 (HNO3) 용액으로 처리하였다. Scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy를 이용하여 각각 필름의 형상과 광 투과도를 분석하였고, 4-point probe로 면 저항을 측정하였다. 계면활성제로 분산시킨 CNT 필름 대부분의 면 저항은 질산 처리에 의해 감소하였다. 이는 CNT 표면에 코팅되어 있던 계면활성제가 질산에 의해 제거되었기 때문인 것으로 예상된다. 여러 계면활성제 중 sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate로 분산시킨 CNT 필름이 산 처리 후에 가장 낮은 면 저항을 보였다. 그리고 Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)과 cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)를 사용하여 제조한 CNT 필름의 면 저항이 가장 뚜렷한 감소를 보였다.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.23 no.10
• /
• pp.782-787
• /
• 2010

Recently the solution-based thin film technology has often been treated in the field of device fabrication owing to easy process and convenience for the development of various semiconductor devices and sensors. We deposited on glass substrate single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)/silane hybrid thin films by multiple spray-coating which is one of solution-based processes, and examined their electrical response for humidity. Generally silane binders which are often mixed in carbon nanotube (CNT) solution to adhere CNTs to substrate well form easily each own functionalized group on the surface of CNTs after they are hardened by way of the hydrolysis reaction. In this work, we investigated how silane binders (TEOS (tetraethoxy silane), MTMS (methyltrimethoxysilane) and VTMS (vinyltrimethoxysilane)) in CNT thin films make effect to their electrical response on humidity. As the result, we found that the resistance in the samples using TEOS was changed dramatically while it was almost invariant in the samples using MTMS and VTMS for increasing humidity.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.367-375
• /
• 2016

Although the bucky paper (BP) made from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possesses beneficial characteristics of hydrophobic nature and high porosity for membrane distillation (MD) application, weak mechanical strength of BP has often prevented the stable operation. This study aims to fabricate the BP with high mechanical strength to improve its MD performance. The strategy was to increase the purity level of CNTs with an assumption that purer CNTs would increase the Van der Waals attraction, leading to the improvement of mechanical strength of BP. According to this study results, the purification of CNT does not necessarily enhance the mechanical strength of BP. The BP made from purer CNTs demonstrated a high flux ($142kg/m^2{\cdot}h$) even at low ${\Delta}T$ ($50^{\circ}C$ and $20^{\circ}C$) during the experiments of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). However, the operation was not stable because a crack quickly formed. Then, a support layer of AAO (anodic aluminum oxide) filter paper was introduced to reinforce the mechanical strength of BP. The support reinforcement was able to increase the mechanical strength, but wetting occurred. Therefore, the mixed matrix membrane (PSf-CNT) using CNTs as filler to polysulphone was fabricated. The DCMD operation with the PSf-CNT membrane was stable, although the flux was low ($6.1kg/m^2{\cdot}h$). This result suggests that the mixed matrix membrane could be more beneficial for the stable DCMD operation than the BP.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 1999.07a
• /
• pp.175-175
• /
• 1999

Circumventing problems lying in the conventional lithographic techniques, we devised a new method for the fabrication of nanometer scale metal wires inspired by the unique characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Since carbon nanotubes could act as masks when CNT-coated thin Au/Ti layer on a SiO2 surface was physically etched by low energy argon ion bombardment 9ion milling), Au/Ti nano-wires were successfully formed just below the CNTs exactly duplicating their lateral shapes. Cross-sectional analysis by transmission electron microscopy revealed that the edge of the metal wire was very sharply developed indicating the great difference in the milling rates between the CNTs and the metal layer as well as the good directionality of the ion milling. We could easily find a few nanometer-wide Au/Ti wires among the wires of various width. After the formation of nano-wires, the CNTs could be pushed away from the metal nano-wire by atomic force microscopy, The lateral force for the removal of the CNTs are dependent upon the width and shape of the wires. Resistance of the metal nano-wires without the CNTs was also measured through the micro-contacts definted by electron beam lithography. since this CNT-based lithographic technique is, in principle, applicable to any kinds of materials, it can be very useful in exploring the fields of nano-science and technology, especially when it is combines with the CNT manipulation techniques.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2007.06a
• /
• pp.394-394
• /
• 2007

Transparent conductive films can serve as a critical component in displays, solar cells, lasers, optical communication devices, and solid state lighting. Carbon nanotube (CNT) based transparent conductive films are fabricated on glass and polymer substrates. CNTs typically exist in form of quasi-crystalline bundles or highly entangled bundles containing tens of individual nanotubes. To achieve full potential, CNTs must be dispersed in a solvent or other organic media. CNTs are acid treated with nitric acid then the stable dispersion of CNTs in polar solvent such as alcohols, DMF, etc. is achieved by sonication. The solubility of CNTs correlates well with the area ratio of the D and G bands from Raman spectrum. Thin films are formed from well dispersed CNT solutions using spray coating method. CNT thin films exhibit a sheet resistance ($R_s$) of nearby $10^3\;{\Omega}/sq$ with a transmittance of around 80% on the visible light range, which is attributed by excellent dispersion and interaction among CNTs, solvents and polymeric binders.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.76-81
• /
• 2012

Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on carbon nanotube (CNT) surfaces was performed to modify reinforcement effect and interfacial adhesion of carbon fiber reinforced CNT-phenolic composites. The surface changes occurring on CNT treated with plasma were analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FT-IR). The significant improvement of wettability on CNT was confirmed by static contact angle test after plasma treatment. Such plasma treatment resulted in a decrease in the advancing contact angle from $118^{\circ}$ to $60^{\circ}$. The interfacial adhesion between carbon fiber and CNT-phenolic composites increased by plasma treatment based on apparent modulus test results during quasi-static tensile strength. Furthermore, the proposed database offers valuable knowledge for evaluating interfacial shear strength (IFSS).

• Composites Research
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.70-74
• /
• 2015

In this paper, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and micro glass bubbles (GBs) have been incorporated into a polyamide6 (PA6) matrix to impart thermoelectric properties. The spaces created in the matrix by GBs allows the formation of "segregated" CNT network. The tightly bound CNT network, if controlled properly, can serve as a conductive path for electron transport, while prohibiting phonon transport, which would provide an ideal configuration for thermoelectric applications. The CNTs and GBs were dispersed in a nylon-formic acid solution using horn sonication followed by coagulation in deionized water, and nanocomposite panels were fabricated using a hot press. The performance of nanocomposite panels was evaluated from thermal and electrical conductivities and Seebeck coefficient, and a thermoelectric figure of merit as high as 0.016 was achieved.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.207-215
• /
• 2019

Application of nanotechnology can be used to tailor made cementitious composites owing to small dimension and physical behaviour of resulting hydration products. Because of high aspect ratio and extremely high strength, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are perfect reinforcing materials. Hence, there is a great prospect to use CNTs in developing new generation cementitious materials. In the present paper, a parametric study has been conducted on cementitious composites reinforced by two types of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) designated as Type I CNT (10-20 nm outer dia.) and Type II CNT (30-50 nm outer dia.) with various concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% by weight of cement. To evaluate important properties such as flexural strength, strain to failure, elastic modulus and modulus of toughness of the CNT admixed specimens at different curing periods, flexural bending tests were performed. Results show that composites with Type II CNTs gave more strength as compared to Type I CNTs. The highest increase in strength (flexural and compressive) is of the order of 22% and 33%, respectively, compared to control samples. Modulus of toughness at 28 days showed highest improvement of 265% for Type II 0.3% CNT composites. It is obvious that an optimum percentage of CNT could exists for composites to achieve suitable reinforcement behaviour and desired strength properties. Based on the parametric study, a tentative optimum CNT concentration (0.3% by weight of cement) has been proposed. Scanning electron microscope image shows perfect crack bridging mechanism; several of the CNTs were shown to act as crack arrestors across fine cracks along with some CNTs breakage.

• Particle and aerosol research
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2010

In this paper, we describe a new method to form polymer thin films, in which carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are homogeneously distributed so that they can strengthen the mechanical property of resulting polymer film. To do so, we first homogeneously mixed CNTs with polymer in a DMF solvent. With the assistance of ultrasonic nebulizer, the polymer/CNT solution was then aerosolized into micro-sized droplets and finally turned into solidified polymer/CNT composite particles by gas-phase drying process. As the results of SEM and TEM analysis, CNTs were found to be homogeneously immobilized in the polymer matrix particles due to rapid drying process in the gas phase. For comparison purpose, (i) the polymer/CNTs composite particles prepared by aerosol processing method and (ii) polymer/CNTs sheets prepared by simple solution-evaporation method were employed to form polymer/CNTs composite thin films using a hot press. As the result, the aerosol processing of composite particles was found to be a much more effective method to form homogeneously distributed-CNTs in the polymer matrix thin film.