High throughput production of single-wall carbon nanotube fibres independent of sulfur-source.

Floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) methods offer a highly scalable strategy for single-step synthesis and assembly of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into macroscopic textiles. However, the non-uniform axial temperature profile of a typical reactor, and differing precursor breakdown temperatures, result in a broad distribution of catalyst particle sizes. Spun CNT fibres therefore contain nanotubes with varying diameters and wall numbers.

Enhanced ordering reduces electric susceptibility of liquids confined to graphene slit pores.

The behaviours of a range of polar and non-polar organic liquids (acetone, ethanol, methanol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), carbon tetrachloride and water) confined to 2D graphene nanochannels with thicknesses in the range of 4.5 Å to 40 Å were studied using classical molecular dynamics and hybrid density functional theory. All liquids were found to organise spontaneously into ordered layers parallel to the confining surfaces, with those containing polar molecules having their electric dipoles aligned parallel to such surfaces.

The electro-structural behaviour of yarn-like carbon nanotube fibres immersed in organic liquids.

Yarn-like carbon nanotube (CNT) fibres are a hierarchically-structured material with a variety of promising applications such as high performance composites, sensors and actuators, smart textiles, and energy storage and transmission. However, in order to fully realize these possibilities, a more detailed understanding of their interactions with the environment is required. In this work, we describe a simplified representation of the hierarchical structure of the fibres from which several mathematical models are constructed to explain electro-structural interactions of fibres with organic liquids.

Electric field-modulated non-ohmic behavior of carbon nanotube fibers in polar liquids.

We report a previously unseen non-ohmic effect in which the resistivity of carbon nanotube fibers immersed in polar liquids is modulated by the applied electric field. This behavior depends on the surface energy, dielectric constant, and viscosity of the immersion media. Supported by synchrotron SAXS and impedance spectroscopy, we propose a model in which the gap distance, and thus the conductance, of capacitive interbundle junctions is controlled by the applied field.

Liquid infiltration into carbon nanotube fibers: effect on structure and electrical properties.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers consist of a network of highly oriented carbon nanotube bundles. This paper explores the ingress of liquids into the contiguous internal pores between the bundles using measurements of contact angles and changes in fiber dimensions. The resultant effects on the internal structure of the fiber have been examined by WAXS and SAXS.