Special Issue "Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Klara Hernadi
Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Rerrich B. ter 1., Hungary
E-Mail:
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; carbon nanotubes; nanocomposite materials; immobilization of biologically active units; cell-to-biomaterials interactions

Dear Colleagues,

Due to their unique physical and electronic properties carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have induced great interests among researchers since their discovery. Several techniques such as catalytic vapor deposition (CVD), HiPCO, arc discharge, laser ablation, etc. are now available as possible synthesis methods for carbon nanotube production. However, increasing gap between world demand and production capacity is imperative in achieving industrial scale production of carbon nanotubes of good quality and purity. With further optimization of growth conditions, the synthesis of carbon nanotubes can be successfully controlled. Overcoming these difficulties might certainly help their commercial use in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Prof. Dr. Klara Hernadi
Guest Editor

Submission

All manuscripts should be submitted to materials@mdpi.org with a copy to the Guest Editor. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this Open Access journal is 800 CHF per accepted paper.

• carbon nanotube
• CVD method
• arc discharge
• laser ablation
• HiPCO
• electron microscopy
• raman spectroscopy
• MWNT
• SWNT

Feature Papers

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Synthesis Methods of Carbon Nanotubes and Related Materials
Authors: A. Szabo ¹, C. Perri ¹, A. Csato ¹, G. Giordano ¹ and J. B. Nagy ^1,2,*
Affiliations: ¹Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials,University of Calabria, via P. Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
² NANOPART S.A., 60 Kapeldreef, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Abstract: The challenge on carbon nanotubes is still the subject of many research groups. While in the first years the focus was on the new synthesis methods, new carbon sources and support materials, recently, the application possibilities are the principal arguments of the studies. The three main synthesis methods discussed in this review are the arc discharge, the laser ablation and the chemical vapor deposition with a special regard of the latest one. In the early stage of the nanotube production the first two were utilized mainly for the production of SWNTs while the third one produced mainly MWNTs. The principle of CVD is the decomposition of various hydrocarbons over transition metal supported catalyst. Single-walled (SWNT), multi-walled (MWNT) and coiled carbon nanotubes are produced. In some case, interesting carbonaceous materials are formed during the synthesis process, as bamboo-like tubes, onions, horns-like structures... In this paper, we refer to the progresses made in the field of the synthesis techniques of carbon nanotubes in the last decade.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Nanoreview of the CVD Synthesis of Coiled Carbon Nanotubes
Author: Klara Hernadi
Affiliation: Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Rerrich B. ter 1., Hungary
Abstract: The CVD route for carbon nanotube production has become a popular method to make large amounts of multiwall carbon nanotubes. The structure, morphology and size of carbon materials critically depend on the catalyst preparation and deposition conditions. Coiled tubes do not appear when an arc-discharge process is used, nor any other process. These nanocoils appear as a naturally attractive object for nanoelectromechanical systems. One might indeed hope that these coils would have the extraordinary stiffness displayed by straight nanotubes. Based on theoretical studies, regular coiled nanotubes exhibit exceptional mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties due to the combination of their peculiar helical morphology and the fascinating properties of nanotubes. In spite of its technological interest, relatively low attention was paid to this special field. In this paper results obtained until now are summarized.

Regular Paper

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Carbon Nanospheres: Synthesis, Physicochemical Properties and Applications
Authors: Antonio Nieto-Márquez, Amaya Romero and José Luis Valverde
Affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; E-Mail: Antonio.Nieto@uclm.es
Abstract: The discovery of carbon nanostructures, essentially carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanofibres (CNF) has led to a big effort devoted to their synthesis, characterization, surface modification and use. Indeed, these structures have encountered application in a wide range of technological fields, such as adsorption, catalysis, hydrogen storage or electronics. Apart from the filamentous arrange of graphene sheets conducting to CNT or CNF, carbon can bond in other different ways to create structures with dissimilar properties. The pairing of pentagonal and heptagonal carbon rings can result in the formation of carbon nanospheres (CNS). This novel nanostructure has only now started to attract significant research activity. In its spherical arrangement, the graphite sheets are not closed shells but rather waving flakes that follow the curvature of the sphere, creating many open edges at the surface. Contrary to the chemically inert C60, the unclosed graphitic flakes provide reactive “dangling bonds” that are proposed to enhance surface reactions, establishing CNS as good candidates for catalytic and adsorption applications. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the existing literature related to CNS, exploring the different preparation routes employed, the critical characterization results, the applications studied so far as well as their potential uses.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube
Authors: San Hua Lim, Zhiqiang Luo and Jianyi Lin
Affiliation: Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, A-Star, Singapore; E-Mails: lim_san_hua@ices.a-star.edu.sg (S.H.L.), G060001@ntu.edu.sg (Z.L.), lin_jianyi@ices.a-star.edu.sg (J.L.)
Abstract: The application of Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) in the production and modification of carbon nanotubes will be reviewed. The synthesis of aligned carbon nanotubes at low temperatures (ideally ~400 °C) for device applications will be the main focus. The selective growth of MWNT, SWNT, SWNTs with various conductivity, SWNTs encapsulating linear chain carbon can be controlled by varying plasma power density, substrate temperature, gas composition and catalyst composition etc. All these challenges and new strategies for latest development of low temperature synthesis of carbon nanotubes will be discussed in the article.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Carbon Nanotubes Filled with Ferromagnetic Materials
Authors: Uhland Weissker et al.
Affiliation: IFW Dresden, Helmholtzstr. 20 01069 Dresden, Germany; E-Mail: u.weissker@ifw-dresden.de
Abstract: The discovery of carbon nanotubes initialized extensive studies of this material due to its predicted properties and potential applications. Besides their outstanding electrical and mechanical properties carbon nanotubes can be functionalized with different materials for special applications. Ferromagnetic functionalized carbon nanotubes with different filling materials and their application fields are in focus of this paper. Their different synthesis methods as well as their characterization of the structure and ferromagnetic properties are presented. The ferromagnetic materials such as Fe, Co and Ni are used as both catalyst and filling material. In the scope of this work the in-situ filling and the possible growth mechanisms of ferromagnetic CNTs are discussed.