Carbon nanotube coated metal mesh: Bridging nanoscale and macroscale

Chanaka Kumara; Seokhoon Jang; Michael J. Lance; Hsin Wang; Jun Qu

doi:10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102904

Carbon nanotube coated metal mesh: Bridging nanoscale and macroscale

Chanaka Kumara, Seokhoon Jang, Michael J. Lance, Hsin Wang, Jun Qu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A novel hybrid structure has been developed by growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a metal mesh that functions as a literally unlimitedly extendable backbone. This hybrid material structure provides a new approach of extending CNTs’ advantageous properties such as ultrahigh thermal and electrical conductivities, high sensitivity to gases, and distinctive wettability for different liquids with chemical inertness to macroscale—otherwise available only in nano- and microscales. In this feasibility work, CNTs were grown on a Type 316 stainless steel (SS) mesh by self-catalytical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) without the need of an externally added catalyst or catalyst support. For the radially aligned and entangled CNT forest on the SS mesh, the average CNT diameter is around 50 nm, while the length varies from 20 to 25 µm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the multiwall structure of the CNTs with >30 rolled-up graphitic sheets. Raman spectra of the CNTs showed a dominant G band, indicating a well-ordered graphitic nanostructure. Being highly hydrophobic with a water contact angle of ∼145° and oleophilic, the CNT-coated SS mesh could be used in fluid separation and organic contaminant removal from water. Moreover, CNTs are recognized for their exceptional thermal conductivity and the CNT-coated mesh offers a supportive structure with directly connected CNTs for efficient heat transfer. Proof of concept has been achieved for the CNT-coated mesh's potentials as a liquid filter and an thermal interface material (TIM). Specifically, the CNT-coated mesh demonstrated the capability of capturing water from a water-organic mixture with a 100 % efficiency while allowing organic liquids to pass through the filter. When used as a TIM, the CNT-coated mesh reduced the interfacial thermal impedance by >30 %.

Original language	English
Article number	102904
Journal	Applied Materials Today
Volume	46
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102904
State	Published - Oct 2025

Funding

The authors thank K. Cooley and L. Allard from ORNL for setting up the CVD system and help with STEM imaging, respectively. This research was supported by the Solar Energy Technologies Office, Award #36333, and the Vehicle Technology Office Powertrain Materials Core Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. Part of the electron microscopy characterization was performed at ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, U.S. Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences. Note: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05- 00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The U.S. government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. The U.S. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan). Note: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05- 00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The U.S. government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. The U.S. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ). The authors thank K. Cooley and L. Allard from ORNL for setting up the CVD system and help with STEM imaging, respectively. This research was supported by the Solar Energy Technologies Office, Award #36333, and the Vehicle Technology Office Powertrain Materials Core Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. Part of the electron microscopy characterization was performed at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, sponsored by the Scientific User Facilities Division, U.S. Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences.

Keywords

Carbon nanotubes (CNTS)
Liquid separation
Metal mesh
Thermal interface

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10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102904

Cite this

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title = "Carbon nanotube coated metal mesh: Bridging nanoscale and macroscale",

abstract = "A novel hybrid structure has been developed by growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a metal mesh that functions as a literally unlimitedly extendable backbone. This hybrid material structure provides a new approach of extending CNTs{\textquoteright} advantageous properties such as ultrahigh thermal and electrical conductivities, high sensitivity to gases, and distinctive wettability for different liquids with chemical inertness to macroscale—otherwise available only in nano- and microscales. In this feasibility work, CNTs were grown on a Type 316 stainless steel (SS) mesh by self-catalytical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) without the need of an externally added catalyst or catalyst support. For the radially aligned and entangled CNT forest on the SS mesh, the average CNT diameter is around 50 nm, while the length varies from 20 to 25 µm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the multiwall structure of the CNTs with >30 rolled-up graphitic sheets. Raman spectra of the CNTs showed a dominant G band, indicating a well-ordered graphitic nanostructure. Being highly hydrophobic with a water contact angle of ∼145° and oleophilic, the CNT-coated SS mesh could be used in fluid separation and organic contaminant removal from water. Moreover, CNTs are recognized for their exceptional thermal conductivity and the CNT-coated mesh offers a supportive structure with directly connected CNTs for efficient heat transfer. Proof of concept has been achieved for the CNT-coated mesh's potentials as a liquid filter and an thermal interface material (TIM). Specifically, the CNT-coated mesh demonstrated the capability of capturing water from a water-organic mixture with a 100 \% efficiency while allowing organic liquids to pass through the filter. When used as a TIM, the CNT-coated mesh reduced the interfacial thermal impedance by >30 \%.",

keywords = "Carbon nanotubes (CNTS), Liquid separation, Metal mesh, Thermal interface",

author = "Chanaka Kumara and Seokhoon Jang and Lance, \{Michael J.\} and Hsin Wang and Jun Qu",

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AU - Qu, Jun

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N2 - A novel hybrid structure has been developed by growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a metal mesh that functions as a literally unlimitedly extendable backbone. This hybrid material structure provides a new approach of extending CNTs’ advantageous properties such as ultrahigh thermal and electrical conductivities, high sensitivity to gases, and distinctive wettability for different liquids with chemical inertness to macroscale—otherwise available only in nano- and microscales. In this feasibility work, CNTs were grown on a Type 316 stainless steel (SS) mesh by self-catalytical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) without the need of an externally added catalyst or catalyst support. For the radially aligned and entangled CNT forest on the SS mesh, the average CNT diameter is around 50 nm, while the length varies from 20 to 25 µm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the multiwall structure of the CNTs with >30 rolled-up graphitic sheets. Raman spectra of the CNTs showed a dominant G band, indicating a well-ordered graphitic nanostructure. Being highly hydrophobic with a water contact angle of ∼145° and oleophilic, the CNT-coated SS mesh could be used in fluid separation and organic contaminant removal from water. Moreover, CNTs are recognized for their exceptional thermal conductivity and the CNT-coated mesh offers a supportive structure with directly connected CNTs for efficient heat transfer. Proof of concept has been achieved for the CNT-coated mesh's potentials as a liquid filter and an thermal interface material (TIM). Specifically, the CNT-coated mesh demonstrated the capability of capturing water from a water-organic mixture with a 100 % efficiency while allowing organic liquids to pass through the filter. When used as a TIM, the CNT-coated mesh reduced the interfacial thermal impedance by >30 %.

AB - A novel hybrid structure has been developed by growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on a metal mesh that functions as a literally unlimitedly extendable backbone. This hybrid material structure provides a new approach of extending CNTs’ advantageous properties such as ultrahigh thermal and electrical conductivities, high sensitivity to gases, and distinctive wettability for different liquids with chemical inertness to macroscale—otherwise available only in nano- and microscales. In this feasibility work, CNTs were grown on a Type 316 stainless steel (SS) mesh by self-catalytical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) without the need of an externally added catalyst or catalyst support. For the radially aligned and entangled CNT forest on the SS mesh, the average CNT diameter is around 50 nm, while the length varies from 20 to 25 µm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed the multiwall structure of the CNTs with >30 rolled-up graphitic sheets. Raman spectra of the CNTs showed a dominant G band, indicating a well-ordered graphitic nanostructure. Being highly hydrophobic with a water contact angle of ∼145° and oleophilic, the CNT-coated SS mesh could be used in fluid separation and organic contaminant removal from water. Moreover, CNTs are recognized for their exceptional thermal conductivity and the CNT-coated mesh offers a supportive structure with directly connected CNTs for efficient heat transfer. Proof of concept has been achieved for the CNT-coated mesh's potentials as a liquid filter and an thermal interface material (TIM). Specifically, the CNT-coated mesh demonstrated the capability of capturing water from a water-organic mixture with a 100 % efficiency while allowing organic liquids to pass through the filter. When used as a TIM, the CNT-coated mesh reduced the interfacial thermal impedance by >30 %.

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Carbon nanotube coated metal mesh: Bridging nanoscale and macroscale

Abstract

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