EDLC characteristics of CNTs grown on nanoporous alumina templates

Carbon Nanomaterial Fluorescent Probes and Their Biological Applications

Fluorescent carbon nanomaterials have broadly useful chemical and photophysical attributes that are conducive to applications in biology. In this review, we focus on materials whose photophysics allow for the use of these materials in biomedical and environmental applications, with emphasis on imaging, biosensing, and cargo delivery. The review focuses primarily on graphitic carbon nanomaterials including graphene and its derivatives, carbon nanotubes, as well as carbon dots and carbon nanohoops. Recent advances in and future prospects of these fields are discussed at depth, and where appropriate, references to reviews pertaining to older literature are provided.

Direct Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Aluminum Foil by Atmospheric Pressure Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

This paper is about the research that carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grow on aluminum foils without additional catalysts by atmospheric pressure microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (AMPCVD) with the precursor of argon-hydrogen-ethanol. At different temperatures, a series of experiments that CNTs grow on aluminum foils were done with and without the alumina layer. The EDS results showed that iron impurities in aluminum foils catalyze the growth of CNTs. By measurements of SEM and HRTEM, tens of microns long and multi-walled CNTs are grown. The CNTs’ content in the sample changes more with the increase in temperature. The Raman measuring shows that CNTs have fewer defects with higher temperature. Finally, by measurements of EDS mapping and XRD on aluminum foil, the growth mechanism of CNTs was discussed.

A supercapacitor based on longitudinal unzipping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes for high temperature application

A supercapacitor was made from the partially unzipped multi-walled carbon nanotubes for high temperature application.

A robust nanoscale biomemory device composed of recombinant azurin on hexagonally packed Au-nano array

We developed a nanoscale memory device consisting of signal-responsive biomaterial, which is capable of switching physical properties (such as electrical/electrochemical, optical, and magnetic) upon application of appropriate electrical signals to perform memory switching. Here, we propose a highly robust surface-confined switch composed of an electroactive cysteine-modified azurin immobilized on an Au hexagonal pattern formed on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates that can be controlled electrochemically and reversibly converted between its redox states. The memory effect is based on conductance switching, which leads to the occurrence of bistable states and behaves as an extremely robust redox switch in which an electrochemical input is transduced into optical and magnetic outputs under ambient conditions. The fact that this molecular surface switch, operating at very low voltages, can be patterned and addressed locally, and also has good stability and excellent reversibility, makes it a promising platform for nonvolatile memory devices.

A novel nano-nonwoven fabric with three-dimensionally dispersed nanofibers: entrapment of carbon nanofibers within nonwovens using the wet-lay process

This study demonstrates, for the first time, the manufacturing of novel nano-nonwovens that are comprised of three-dimensionally distributed carbon nanofibers within the matrices of traditional wet-laid nonwovens. The preparation of these nano-nonwovens involves dispersing and flocking carbon nanofibers, and optimizing colloidal chemistry during wet-lay formation. The distribution of nanofibers within the nano-nonwoven was verified using polydispersed aerosol filtration testing, air permeability, low surface tension liquid capillary porometry, SEM and cyclic voltammetry. All these characterization techniques indicated that nanofiber flocks did not behave as large solid clumps, but retained the 'nanoporous' structure expected from nanofibers. These nano-nonwovens showed significant enhancements in aerosol filtration performance. The reduction-oxidation reactions of the functional groups on nanofibers and the linear variation of electric double-layer capacitance with nanofiber loading were measured using cyclic voltammetry. More than 65 m² (700 ft²) of the composite were made during the demonstration of process scalability using a Fourdrinier-type continuous pilot papermaking machine. The scalability of the process with the control over pore size distribution makes these composites very promising for filtration and other nonwoven applications.

Carbon nanotubes for supercapacitor

As an electrical energy storage device, supercapacitor finds attractive applications in consumer electronic products and alternative power source due to its higher energy density, fast discharge/charge time, low level of heating, safety, long-term operation stability, and no disposable parts. This work reviews the recent development of supercapacitor based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their composites. The purpose is to give a comprehensive understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of carbon nanotubes-related supercapacitor materials and to find ways for the improvement in the performance of supercapacitor. We first discussed the effects of physical and chemical properties of pure carbon nanotubes, including size, purity, defect, shape, functionalization, and annealing, on the supercapacitance. The composites, including CNTs/oxide and CNTs/polymer, were further discussed to enhance the supercapacitance and keep the stability of the supercapacitor by optimally engineering the composition, particle size, and coverage.

Enhancement mechanism of electrochemical capacitance in nitrogen-/boron-doped carbons with uniform straight nanochannels

Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with uniform straight nanochannels was completely coated with pure, N-doped, or B-doped carbon layer. Their electric double layer capacitances are measured in aqueous (1 M sulfuric acid) and organic (1 M Et4NBF4/polypropylene carbonate) electrolyte solutions in order to investigate the capacitance enhancement mechanisms caused by N- or B-doping. Since the three types of carbon-coated AAOs (pure, N-doped, or B-doped) have exactly the same pore structure, the observed capacitance enhancement was ascribable to only the following factors: (i) better wettability, (ii) the decrease of equivalent series resistance, (iii) the contribution of space-charge-layer capacitance, and (iv) the occurrence of pseudocapacitance. From the measurements of the wettability and the electrical resistance of the coated AAOs together with the electrochemical investigation (the cyclic voltammetry, the galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling, and the impedance analysis), it is concluded that the pseudocapacitance through faradic charge transfer (factor iv) is the most important factor to enhance the capacitance by N- or B-doping. This can be applied to not only the present carbon-coated AAOs but also any other porous carbons.

Fabrication of Au nanodots with 60nm diameter on ITO glass: Towards nanobiochip using nanoporous alumina mask

Au nanodots can be utilized for the fabrication of protein nanoarrays. Au nanodots were fabricated on ITO glass by the thermal evaporation method using nanoporous alumina as a shadow mask. Uniform Au nanodots with a diameter of 60nm were formed on the ITO glass as a replica of the alumina mask. The morphology of the Au nanodots was verified by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). Cysteine-modified azurins were immobilized on the Au nanodots. The topography of the proteins immobilized on the Au nanodots was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping mode. These Au dot arrays can be potentially utilized as usable elements to construct nanobiochips.