Abstract
The influence of catalyst alloy composition on the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers was studied using Cu-Ni thin films. Metals were co-sputtered onto a substrate to form a thin film alloy with a wide compositional gradient, as determined by Auger analysis. Carbon nanofibers were then grown from the gradient catalyst film by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The alloy composition produced substantial differences in the resulting nanofibers, which varied from branched structures at 81%Ni-19%Cu to high aspect ratio nanocones at 80%Cu-20%Ni. Electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques also revealed segregation of the initial alloy catalyst particles at certain concentrations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1857-1863 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Carbon |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2005 |
Funding
MLS acknowledges support from the Material Sciences and Engineering Division Program of the DOE Office of Science under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle LLC, and KLK acknowledges support from the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) Research Scholar Program. Additional support was provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725. Scanning Auger Microanalysis was sponsored by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies, as part of the High Temperature Materials Laboratory User Program, ORNL, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the US Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC05-00OR22725.
Keywords
- Carbon nano-fibers
- Catalytic properties
- Chemical vapor deposition
- Electron microscopy
- Plasma deposition