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Carbon nanotubes as nanoparticles collector

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Abstract

This communication reports on a new method for the collection of nanoparticles using carbon nanotubes (CNT) as collecting surfaces, by which the problem of agglomeration of nanoparticles can be circumvented. CNT (10–50 nm in diameter, 1–10 μm in length) were grown by thermal CVD at 923 K in a 7 v/v% C2H2 in N2 mixture on electroless nickel-plated copper transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids and Monel coupons. These samples were then placed downstream of an arc plasma reactor to collect individual copper nanoparticles (5–30 nm in diameter). It was observed that the Cu nanoparticles preferentially adhere onto CNT and that the macro-particles (diameter >1 μm), a usual co-product obtained with metal nanoparticles in the arc plasma synthesis, are not collected. Cu–Ni nanoparticles, a catalyst for CNT growth, were deposited on CNT to grow multibranched CNT. CNT-embedded thin films were produced by re-melting the deposited nanoparticles.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies (FQRNT), and McGill University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3A 2B2

    Laksminarayana Rao, Naveen Krishna Reddy, Sylvain Coulombe, Jean-Luc Meunier & Richard J. Munz

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  1. Laksminarayana Rao
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  2. Naveen Krishna Reddy
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  3. Sylvain Coulombe
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  4. Jean-Luc Meunier
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  5. Richard J. Munz
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Correspondence to Sylvain Coulombe.

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Rao, L., Reddy, N.K., Coulombe, S. et al. Carbon nanotubes as nanoparticles collector. J Nanopart Res 9, 689–695 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-006-9175-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-006-9175-5

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