Name: simultaneous synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene in a magnetically-enhanced arc plasma
Uploaded: 2012-02-02T12:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Simultaneous Synthesis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene in a Magnetically-enhanced Arc Plasma at JoVE.com

This work was supported by NSF/DOE Partnership in Plasma Science and Technology (NSF Grant No. CBET-0853777 and DOE Grant No. DE-SC0001169), STTR Phase I project (NSF STTR PHASE I No.1010133). The authors would like to thank the PPPL Offsite Research Program supported by the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences for supporting arc experiments.

1. Anode preparation
<ol>
 <li>Scale nickel powder (99.8%, 300 mesh) and yttrium powder (99.9%, 40 mesh) according to the molar radio of 4.2:1 as catalyst powder.</li>
 <li>Mix the catalyst powder with graphite powder (99.9995%, 200 mesh) very well. Fill the mixed powder into hollow graphite rod (5 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm inner diameter and 75 mm length) firmly. Make sure the total molar radio of C:Ni:Y in anode rod is 94.8:4.2:1, which is optimum ratio to synthesize SWCNT 9.</li>
 <li>Install cathode rod ...

<ol>
	<li>Dai, H. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electrical+transport+properties+and+field+effect+transistors+of+carbon+nanotubes.">Electrical transport properties and field effect transistors of carbon nanotubes.</a> Nano. 1, 1-13 (2006).</li><li>Lai, K. W. C., Xi, N., Fung, C. K. M., Chen, H. Z., Tarn, T. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Engineering+the+band+gap+of+carbon+nanotube+for+infrared+sensors.">Engineering the band gap of carbon nanotube for infrared sensors.</a> Applied Physics Letters. 95, 221107-221107 (2009).</li><li>Gabor, N. M., Zhong, Z. H., Bosnick, K., Park, J., McEuen, P. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Extremely+Efficient+Multiple+Electron-Hole+Pair+Generation+in+Carbon+Nanotube+Photodiodes.">Extremely Efficient Multiple Electron-Hole Pair Generation in Carbon Nanotube Photodiodes.</a> Science. 325, 1367-1371 (2009).</li><li>Liu, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydrogen+storage+in+single-walled+carbon+nanotubes+at+room+temperature.">Hydrogen storage in single-walled carbon nanotubes at room temperature.</a> Science. 286, 1127-1129 (1999).</li><li>Keidar, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Magnetic-field-enhanced+synthesis+of+single-wall+carbon+nanotubes+in+arc+discharge.">Magnetic-field-enhanced synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes in arc discharge.</a> Journal of Applied Physics. 103, 094318-094318 (2008).</li><li>Li, J., Volotskova, O., Shashurin, A., Keidar, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Controlling+Diameter+Distribution+of+Catalyst+Nanoparticles+in+Arc+Discharge.">Controlling Diameter Distribution of Catalyst Nanoparticles in Arc Discharge.</a> Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. 11, 10047-10052 (2011).</li><li>Volotskova, O. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tailored+Distribution+of+Single-Wall+Carbon+Nanotubes+from+Arc+Plasma+Synthesis+Using+Magnetic+Fields.">Tailored Distribution of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes from Arc Plasma Synthesis Using Magnetic Fields.</a> Acs. Nano. 4, 5187-5192 (2010).</li><li>Volotskova, O. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Single-step+synthesis+and+magnetic+separation+of+graphene+and+carbon+nanotubes+in+arc+discharge+plasmas.">Single-step synthesis and magnetic separation of graphene and carbon nanotubes in arc discharge plasmas.</a> Nanoscale. 2, 2281-2285 (2010).</li><li>Farhat, S., Scott, C. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Review+of+the+arc+process+modeling+for+fullerene+and+nanotube+production.">Review of the arc process modeling for fullerene and nanotube production.</a> Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. 6, 1189-1210 (2006).</li><li>Keidar, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Increasing+the+length+of+single-wall+carbon+nanotubes+in+a+magnetically+enhanced+arc+discharge.">Increasing the length of single-wall carbon nanotubes in a magnetically enhanced arc discharge.</a> Applied Physics Letters. 92, 043129-043129 (2008).</li><li>Ferrari, A. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Raman+spectrum+of+graphene+and+graphene+layers.">Raman spectrum of graphene and graphene layers.</a> Physical Review Letters. 97, 187401-187401 (2006).</li></ol>

In the video snapshots shown in Figure 1b and 1d, for the case that the interelectrode gap was placed at the distance of about h=75 mm from the bottom of permanent magnet, it should be noted that change of magnet position (we tested magnet shift along z-axis and turning the magnet over) results in deviation of arc jet flow in x-direction corresponding to direction of J&times;B force illustrated in Figure 1c. It was also observed that the geometry of arc plasma column did...

Table of specific reagents and equipment:
<table border="1">
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <th>
 Name of the reagent</th>
 <th>
 Company</th>
 <th>
 Catalogue number</th>
 <th>
 Comments (optional)</th>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Methanol</td>
 <td>Acros Organics</td>
 <td>423950010</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nickel powder</td>
 <td>Alfa Aesar</td>
 <td>10581</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Yttrium powder</td>
 <td>Acros Organics</td>
 <td>318060050</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Graphite powder</td>
 <td>Alfa Aesar</td>
 <td>40799</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Hollow graphite rod</td>
 <td>Saturn Industries</td>
 <td>POCO EDM 3</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Permanent magnet</td>
 <td>McMaster-Carr</td>
 <td>57315K51</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Molybdenum sheet</td>
 <td>Dingqi Sci. and Tech.</td>
 <td>080504-11</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Ultrasonic 
 dismembrator</td>
 <td>Fisher Scientific</td>
 <td>Model 150T</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Hall-effect gaussmeter</td>
 <td>AI</td>
 <td>Model 100</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Welding power supply</td>
 <td>Miller Electric</td>
 <td>Gold Star 600SS</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Vacuum pump</td>
 <td>J/B</td>
 <td>DV-85N</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>SEM</td>
 <td>Zeiss</td>
 <td>LEO 1430VP</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>TEM</td>
 <td>JEOL</td>
 <td>1200 EX</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Raman</td>
 <td>Horiba</td>
 <td>HR800</td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

simultaneous synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene in a magnetically-enhanced arc plasma

Carbon nanostructures such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and graphene attract a deluge of interest of scholars nowadays due to their very promising application for molecular sensors, field effect transistor and super thin and flexible electronic devices1-4. Anodic arc discharge supported by the erosion of the anode material is one of the most practical and efficient methods, which can provide specific non-equilibrium processes and a high influx of carbon material to the developing structures at relatively higher temperature, and consequently the as-synthesized products have few structural defects and better crystallinity.
 To further improve the controllability and flexibility of the synthesis of carbon nanostructures in arc discharge, magnetic fields can be applied during the synthesis process according to the strong magnetic responses of arc plasmas. It was demonstrated that the magnetically-enhanced arc discharge can increase the average length of SWCNT 5, narrow the diameter distribution of metallic catalyst particles and carbon nanotubes 6, and change the ratio of metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes 7, as well as lead to graphene synthesis 8. 
 Furthermore, it is worthwhile to remark that when we introduce a non-uniform magnetic field with the component normal to the current in arc, the Lorentz force along the J&times;B direction can generate the plasmas jet and make effective delivery of carbon ion particles and heat flux to samples. As a result, large-scale graphene flakes and high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes were simultaneously generated by such new magnetically-enhanced anodic arc method. Arc imaging, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy were employed to analyze the characterization of carbon nanostructures. These findings indicate a wide spectrum of opportunities to manipulate with the properties of nanostructures produced in plasmas by means of controlling the arc conditions.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Simultaneous Synthesis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene in a Magnetically-enhanced Arc Plasma at JoVE.com

Simultaneous Synthesis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene in a Magnetically-enhanced Arc Plasma

Anodic arc discharge is one of the most practical and efficient methods to synthesize various carbon nanostructures. To increase the arc controllability and flexibility, a non-uniform magnetic field was introduced to process the one-step synthesis of large-scale graphene flakes and high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanostructures such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and graphene attract a deluge of interest of scholars nowadays due to their very ...

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