Csaba Guthy

Magnetically aligned single wall carbon nanotube films: preferred orientation and anisotropic transport properties

Thick films of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) exhibiting in-plane preferred orientation have been produced by filter deposition from suspension in strong magnetic fields. We characterize the field-induced alignment with x-ray fiber diagrams and polarized Raman scattering, using a model which includes a completely unaligned fraction. We correlate the texture parameters with resistivity and thermal conductivity measured parallel and perpendicular to the alignment direction. Results obtained with 7 and 26 T fields are compared. We find no significant field dependence of the distribution width, while the aligned fraction is slightly greater at the higher field. Anisotropy in both transport properties is modest, with ratios in the range 5–9, consistent with the measured texture parameters assuming a simple model of rigid rod conductors. We suggest that further enhancements in anisotropic properties will require optimizing the filter deposition process rather than larger magnetic fields. We show that both ...

Single wall carbon nanotube fibers extruded from super-acid suspensions: Preferred orientation, electrical, and thermal transport

Fibers of single wall carbon nanotubes extruded from super-acid suspensions exhibit preferred orientation along their axes. We characterize the alignment by x-ray fiber diagrams and polarized Raman scattering, using a model which allows for a completely unaligned fraction. This fraction ranges from 0.17 to 0.05±0.02 for three fibers extruded under different conditions, with corresponding Gaussian full widths at half maximum (FWHM) from 64° to 44°±2°. FWHM, aligned fraction, electrical, and thermal transport all improve with decreasing extrusion orifice diameter. Resistivity, thermoelectric power, and resonant-enhanced Raman scattering indicate that the neat fibers are strongly p doped; the lowest observed ρ is 0.25 mΩ cm at 300 K. High temperature annealing increases ρ by more than 1 order of magnitude and restores the Raman resonance associated with low-energy van Hove transitions, without affecting the nanotube alignment.

Thermal Conductivity of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube/PMMA Nanocomposites

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are considered as promising filler materials for improving the thermal conductivity of conventional polymers. We carefully investigated the thermal conductivity of SWNT poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites with random SWNT orientations and loading up to 9 vol % using the comparative technique. The composites were prepared by coagulation and exhibit ∼250% improvement in the thermal conductivity at 9 vol %. The experimental results were analyzed using the versatile Nielsen model, which accounts for many important factors, including filler aspect ratio and maximum packing fraction. In this work, the aspect ratio was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and used as an input parameter in the Nielsen model. We obtained good agreement between our results and the predictions of the Nielsen model, which indicates that higher aspect ratio fillers are needed to achieve further enhancement. Our analysis also suggests that improved thermal contact between the SWNT network and the matrix material would be beneficial.

Unusually low thermal conductivity of gallium nitride nanowires

We report measurements of thermal conductivity κ on individual gallium nitride nanowires (GaN NWs) with diameters ranging from 97to181nm grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition. We observed unexpectedly small κ values, in the range of 13–19W∕mK at 300K, with very weak diameter dependence. We also observe unusual power law κ∼Tn behavior with n=1.8 at low temperature. Electron-energy-loss-spectroscopy measurements indicate Si and O concentrations in the ranges of 0.1–1 and 0.01–0.1at.%, respectively. Based on extensive numerical calculations, we conclude that both the unexpectedly low κ and the T1.8 dependence are caused by unusually large mass-difference scattering, primarily from Si impurities. Our analysis also suggests that mass-difference scattering rates are significantly enhanced by the reduced phonon group velocity in nanoscale systems. Planar defects running the length of the NW, previously characterized in detail, may also play a role in limiting the phonon mean free path.

Correlation of properties with preferred orientation in coagulated and stretch-aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes

We report structure-property correlations in single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) fibers, among electrical, thermal, and chemical parameters with respect to stretch-induced preferential SWNT alignment along the fiber axis. Purified HiPco (high-pressure CO) conversion tubes are dispersed with the aid of an anionic surfactant and coagulated in the co-flowing stream of an adsorbing polymer. The fibers are then dried, rewetted under tensile load, and redried to improve the alignment. Complete removal of the polymer was assured by annealing in hydrogen at 1000°C. The degree of alignment was determined by x-ray scattering from individual fibers using a two-dimensional detector. The half width at half maximum describing the axially symmetric distribution of SWNT axes decreases linearly from 27.5° in the initial extruded fiber to 14.5° after stretching by 80%. The electrical resistivity ρ at 300K decreases overall by a factor ∼4 with stretching, for both as-spun composite and polymer-free annealed fibers. However, ...

Thermal transport in MWNT sheet: Extremely high radiation from the carbon nanotube surface

Laser flash and self-heating 3ω techniques were employed to determine the anisotropic thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of highly oriented free standing multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) sheet drawn from a sidewall of a MWNT forest that was grown by chemical-vapor deposition. The thermal conductivity and the thermal diffusivity along the alignment are 50±5 W/m·K and 45±5 mm 2 /s, respectively, and are mostly limited by intrinsic defects of individual nanotubes and phonon-phonon interaction within bundles which form the supporting matrix of the MWNT sheet. The long tube-tube overlapping substantially decreases the electrical and thermal interconnection resistances which are usually dominate in randomly deposited mat-like nanotube assemblies. The extremely large surface area of the MWNT sheet leads to excessive heat radiation that dose not allow to transfer the heat energy by means of phonons to distances > 2 mm.