Individual arc-discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes probed with multiple measurement techniques
Arc-discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AD-MWNT), or related MWNTs, exhibit a good quality compared to the more common type of MWNT synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition methods. Yet experimental measurements on these are rather few and typically have not correlated data from different measurement techniques. Here, the authors report Raman spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, conductivity measurements, and force microscopy on single AD-MWNTs. The results demonstrate the high quality of AD-MWNTs and are compatible with the view of them as the best approximation of MWNTs as an assembly of defect-free concentric individual single-walled carbon nanotubes. The au…
Conduction properties of thin films from a water soluble carbon nanotube/hemicellulose complex.
We have examined the conductive properties of carbon nanotube based thin films, which were prepared via dispersion in water by non-covalent functionalization of the nanotubes with xylan, a type of hemicellulose. Measurements of low temperature conductivity, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and high frequency (THz) conductivity elucidated the intra-tube and inter-tube charge transport processes in this material. The measurements show excellent conductive properties of the as prepared thin films, with bulk conductivity up to 2000 S cm−1. The transport results demonstrate that the hemicellulose does not seriously interfere with the inter-tube conductance. peerReviewed
Measurements of tunneling conduction to carbon nanotubes and its sensitivity to oxygen gas
We have measured the conductive properties of junctions between carbon nanotubes (CNT) and non-noble metals $M$ ($M$ = Al, Ti, Nb), which are separated by the native oxide (${M}_{\mathit{OX}}$) of the metal. Reproducible and asymmetric current-voltage characteristics were obtained from Ti/Ti${}_{\mathit{OX}}$/CNT and Nb/Nb${}_{\mathit{OX}}$/CNT junctions, while Al/Al${}_{\mathit{OX}}$/CNT exhibited no current until breakdown, which is attributed to the larger bandgap of Al${}_{\mathit{OX}}$. The conduction in the Ti- and Nb-based junctions is not due to direct tunneling since they exhibit strong temperature dependence. The presence of oxygen is shown to drastically, but reversibly, modify t…