• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.458-465
• /
• 2016

A $TiO_2$/CNT nanohybrid photocatalyst is synthesized via sol-gel route, with titanium (IV) isopropoxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the starting materials. The microstructures and phase constitution of the nanohybrid $TiO_2$/CNT (0.005wt%) samples after calcination at $450^{\circ}C$, $550^{\circ}C$ and $650^{\circ}C$ in air are compared with those of pure $TiO_2$ using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of the nanohybrid is compared with that of pure $TiO_2$ with regard to the degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. The $TiO_2$/CNT composite exhibits a fast grain growth and phase transformation during calcination. The nanocomposite shows enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation in comparison to pure $TiO_2$ owing to not only better adsorption capability of CNT but also effective electron transfer between $TiO_2$ and CNTs. However, the high calcination temperature of $650^{\circ}C$, regardless of addition of CNT, causes a decrease in photocatalytic activity because of grain growth and phase transformation to rutile. These results such as fast phase transformation to rutile and effective electron transfer are related to carbon doping into $TiO_2$.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.239-243
• /
• 2015

Recent studies regarding the properties of carbon nanotubes (CNT) have made remarkable progress in CNT fibers research. However no CNT fibers showed the properties of CNTs because CNTs in fibers have weak interfacial bonding with low shear modulus in the pristine form. Thus, it is upmost interest to develop and employ post-production treatments to the CNT fibers that would potentially improve their properties. In this study, post-treatments resulted in improvement of strength of CNT fibers up to 40%.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.115-119
• /
• 2011

A tip-type carbon nanotube(CNT)-based field emitter was studied to consider it as electron source for micro-focused x-ray tube. The CNT was grown directly on a metal (tungsten) substrate by using an inductively coupled plasma-chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) method. Prior to CNT growth, the metal substrate was etched to have various tip angles from $10^{\circ}$ to $180^{\circ}C$ (flat-type). The morphologies and microstructures of all the grown CNTs were analyzed via field-emission SEM. Furthermore, the effects of substrate tip-angles on the emission properties of CNT-based field emitters were characterized to estimate the maximum current density, the turn-on voltage, and the spatial distribution of electron beams. Prolonged long-term stability testing of the CNT emitters was also performed. All the experiment results obtained from this study indicated why a tip-type CNT emitter, compared with a flat-type CNT emitter, would be more desirable for a micro-focused x-ray system, in terms of the emission current level, the focused beam area, and the emission stability.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.07a
• /
• pp.415-418
• /
• 2005

To understand effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed in nematic liquid crystal (NLC) on electro-optic characteristic and orientation of the LC, we CNT-doped homogeneously-aligned NLC cells driven by in-plane field have been fabricated. The CNTs were aligned with a LC director from the initial state to below critical ac field, whereas the CNTs disturbed the LC director field above critical ac field. We observed motional textures in the form of vertical stripes in the local area between electrodes, which were associated with a deformation of the LC director orientation. This indicates that CNTs start vibrating three dimensionally with translational motion. Further, the hysterisis studies of voltage-dependent transmittance under dc electric field show that the amount of residual dc, which is related to image sticking problem in liquid crystal displays, is greatly reduced due to ion trapping by CNTS while keeping operating voltage and response time about the same compared to the un-doped LC cell.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.192-197
• /
• 2009

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) were used as a catalyst support where catalytically active Pd and Pt metal particles decorated the outside of the external CNT walls. In this study, Pd and Pt nanoparticles supported on $HNO_3$-treated CNT were prepared by microwave-assisted heating of the polyol process using $PdCl_2$ and $H_2PtCl_6{\codt}6H_2O$ precursors, respectively, and were then characterized by SEM, TEM, and Raman. Raman spectroscopy showed that the acid treated CNT had a higher intensity ratio of $I_D/I_G$ compared to that of non-treated CNT, indicating the formation of defects or functional groups on CNT after chemical oxidation. Microwave irradiation for total two minutes resulted in the formation of Pd and Pt nanoparticles on the acid treated CNT. The sizes of Pd and Pt nanoparticles were found to be less than 10 nm and 3 nm, respectively. Furthermore, the $SnO_2$ films doped with CNT decorated by Pd and Pt nanoparticles were prepared, and then the $NO_2$ gas response of these sensor films was evaluated under $1{\sim}5\;ppm$ $NO_2$ concentration at $200^{\circ}C$. It was found that the sensing property of the $SnO_2$ film sensor on $NO_2$ gas was greatly improved by the addition of CNT-supported Pd and Pt nanoparticles.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.19 no.11
• /
• pp.631-636
• /
• 2009

We investigated the NO gas sensing characteristics of ZnO-carbon nanotube (ZnO-CNT) layered composites fabricated by coaxial coating of single-walled CNTs with a thin layer of 1 wt% Al-doped ZnO using rf magnetron sputtering deposition. Morphological studies clearly revealed that the ZnO appeared to form beadshaped crystalline nanoparticles with an average diameter as small as 30 nm, attaching to the surface of the nanotubes. It was found that the NO gas sensing properties of the ZnO-CNT layered composites were dramatically improved over Al-doped ZnO thin films. It is reasoned from these observations that an increase in the surface-to-volume ratio associated with the numerous ZnO “nanobeads” on the surface of the CNTs results in the enhancement of the NO gas sensing properties. The ZnO-CNT layered composite sensors exhibited a maximum sensitivity of 13.7 to 2 ppm NO gas at a temperature of 200${^{\circ}C}$ and a low NO gas detection limit of 0.2 ppm in dry air.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2008.11a
• /
• pp.395-395
• /
• 2008

Water-assisted synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been intensively studied in recent years, reporting that water vapor enhances the activity and lifetime of metal catalyst for the CNT growth. While most of these studies has been focused on the supergrowth of CNTs at high temperature, rarely has the similar approach been made for the CNT synthesis at low temperature. Since the metal catalyst are much less active at lower temperature, we expect that the addition of water vapor may increase the activity of catalyst more largely at lower temperature. We synthesized multi-walled CNTs at temperature as low as $360^{\circ}C$ by introducing water vapor during growth. The water addition caused CNTs to grow ~3 times faster. Moreover, the water-assisted growth prolonged the termination of CNT growth, implying the enhancement of catalyst lifetime. In general, a thinner catalyst layer is likely to produce smaller-diameter, longer CNTs. In a similar manner, the water vapor had a greater effect on the growth of CNTs for a smaller thickness of catalyst in this study. To figure out the role of process gases, CNTs were grown in the first stage and then exposed to each of process gases in the second stage. It was shown that water vapor and hydrogen did not etch CNTs while acetylene led to the additional growth of CNTs even faster in the second stage. As-grown CNTs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.24 no.6
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2011

A new water-soluble and self-doped poly(styrenesulfonic acid-graft-aniline), PSSA-g-PANI, for dispersing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in water was synthesized and its ability to stabilize aqueous CNT dispersions was examined. It was observed that the PANI in PSSA-g-PANI, which has benzoid and quinoid structure, was strongly adsorbed onto the nanotube surface via a strong ${\pi}-{\pi}$ interaction, and thus only gentle sonication causes exfoliation of CNT ropes to small bundles and the long-term stability of their resulting dispersions was much better than commercial surfactants. Furthermore, when thin films of PSSA-g-PANI/CNT are prepared from aqueous dispersion and their electrical conductivities are measured by the four probe technique, it is observed that their conductivities are in the range of 1.5-2.5 S/cm.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.234-241
• /
• 2009

In this study, CNT/$TiO_2$ composites derived from various titanium alkoxides and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized and characterized. Surface areas and pore volumes of the CNT/$TiO_2$ samples showed catastrophic decrease due to deposition of titanium compounds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that the MWCNTs were homogenously decorated and well-dispersed onto/into the composites without apparent agglomeration of $TiO_2$ particles. In the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, peaks of anatase and rutile phase were observed. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra revealed the presence of major elements such as C and O with strong Ti peaks. According to the photocatalytic results, MB removal by a treatment with CNT/$TiO_2$ composites seems to have an excellent removal effect as order of CTIP, CTNB and CTPP composites due to a photolysis of the supported $TiO_2$, the radical reaction and the adsorptivity and absorptivity of the MWCNTs.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.159-164
• /
• 2008

Two kinds of CNT/TiO2 composite photocatalysts were synthesized with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and titanium(IV) n-butoxide (TNB) by a MCPBA oxidation method. Since MWCNTs had charge transfer and semiconducting, the CNT/TiO2 composite shows a good photo-degradation activity. The XRD patterns reveal that only anatase phase can be identified for MCT composite, but the HMCT composite synthesized with HCl treatment was observed the mixed phase of anatase and rutile. The EDX spectra were shown the presence as major elements of Ti with strong peaks. From the SEM results, the sample MCT and HMCT synthesized by the thermal decomposition with TNB show a homogenous sample with only individual MWCNTs covered with TiO2 without any jam-like aggregates between CNTs and TiO2. From the photocatalytic results, we could be suggested that the excellent activity of the CNT/TiO2 composites for organic dye and UV irradiation time could be attributed to combination effects between TiO2 and MWCNTs with plausible photodegradation mechanism.