Currently, carbon nanoparticles including both nanotubes and nanofilaments are found in extended commercial applications in modern technologies, for example, for the manufacture of composite materials, nanoscale machines, flat-panel displays, and computer memory devices. The wide application of carbon nanotubes is based on their unique physical and mechanical properties, which show the high electrical and thermal conductivity, and high strength values along the nanotubes' axis. In the direction perpendicular to the fiber axis, these values are very low.
Carbon nanotubes are oftentimes produced by vapor phase deposition on particles of transition metals such as Fe, NJ, and Co in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,227 by Mancevski wherein the metal catalysts decompose the hydrocarbides and aid in the deposition of the ordered carbon), by electrochemical deposition of the catalyst followed by CVD at high temperatures (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,901 by Moskovits et al), by catalytic plasma enhanced CVD, or by a carbon arc-discharge process.
In recent years, more and more attention is being paid to the electrochemical deposition technique for the manufacture of electronic devices because the electrochemical deposition method is simple, low in capital equipment cost, and can be easily scaled to large scale production.
It would be very important to develop a low temperature, simple process capable of substantial production of nanotubes.
The first objective of the present invention is to provide carbon nanotubes from a liquid phase.
The second objective of the present invention is to provide carbon nanotubes at a reduced cost.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide carbon nanotubes on an enlarged scale of production.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is the preparation of carbon nanotubes comprising the steps of: providing an electrochemical bath of an organic solution of methanol and benzyl alcohol disposed between and in contact with silicon wafers coated with iron and nickel particles as electrodes; imposing a direct current potential of approximately 1000 volts between said electrodes; and providing a current density of approximately 12 milliamps per square centimeter between said electrodes for a time sufficient that carbon nanotubes of up to approximately 50 μm are developed.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.
Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
It would be useful to discuss the meanings of some words used herein and their applications before discussing the novel process of the invention for producing carbon nanotubes including:
The method of the invention is based on the discovery that it is possible to create nanoparticles including nanofilaments and nanotubes at ambient temperatures by electrochemical decomposition of an organic system in the presence of catalysts such as iron and nickel.
Refer now to
The preparation of the carbon nanoparticles which include both nanofilaments and nanotubes is by a catalytic facilitated electrochemical decomposition of an organic solution at ambient temperatures. The decomposition is according to the 2 simultaneous reactions which follow:
CH3-OH C+H2+H2O
C6H5CH2-OH 7C+3H2+H2O which results in the growth and deposition of nanoparticles on the catalytic coated substrates serving as electrodes for the electrochemical reaction.
The nano catalyst particles preferred for use in this invention are produced by evaporating a mixture of nickel and iron in argon onto the silicon substrate at a pressure of a few torrs (approximately 0.01 atmospheres) to produce particulates of from approximately 2 to approximately 10 nano meters deposited onto the substrate.
Reference should now be made to
The process according to this invention utilizes a reaction carried out in a glass container holding a solution of approximately 7 to approximately 40%, preferably approximately 30%, of methanol in benzene alcohol at ambient temperature and a current density of approximately 12 mA/cm2 between silicon wafers as the electrodes coated with nanoparticles of equal amounts of iron and nickel ranging from approximately 2 to approximately 10 nano meters and separated by approximately 5 mm with a voltage potential imposed between them of approximately 1000 volts direct current.
The useful parameters of the inventive process the follows:
The carbon nanofilaments and nanotubes prepared by the inventive process can be seen by reference first to:
The deposition of carbon nanoparticles by the inventive electrochemical ambient process has occurred both as bundled and web-like nanofilaments with: the bundle diameters ranging from approximately 50 to approximately 100 nm and lengths of up to approximately 10 nm; and, the web-like diameters ranging from approximately 50 to approximately 200 nm and lengths of approximately 30 to approximately 50 nm.
The disclosed invention makes it possible to produce nanoparticles in a low temperature process. The resulting advantages are many-fold. Firstly, this approach allows the process to be simplified, low cost and readily scaled up at reduced cost. Secondly, many different substrates can be used as the electrode onto which the nanoparticle catalysts are deposited.
While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.
This is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 10/119,414 filed Apr. 9, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,957 and this invention relates to nanoparticles including both nanotubes and nanofilaments and more particularly relates to carbon nanoparticles deposited by the electrochemical deposition from organic solutions and claims the benefit of priority to United States Provisional Application Serial No. 60/284,360 filed on Apr. 17, 2001.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4310393 | Bell | Jan 1982 | A |
4472533 | Moskovitis | Sep 1984 | A |
5690807 | Clark | Nov 1997 | A |
5693207 | Fromson | Dec 1997 | A |
5973444 | Xu et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
6129901 | Moskovitis et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
6146227 | Mancevski | Nov 2000 | A |
6361660 | Goldstein | Mar 2002 | B1 |
6638413 | Weinberg et al. | Oct 2003 | B1 |
6650061 | Urayama et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
6838297 | Iwasaki et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
20020150684 | Jayatissa | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20020159943 | Smalley et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
20020172968 | Kudo | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20030102222 | Zhou et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60284360 | Apr 2001 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10119414 | Apr 2002 | US |
Child | 10699488 | US |