Enhancement of electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube sheets through copper addition using reduction expansion synthesis
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Authors
Earp, Brian
Dunn, Durward
Phillips, Jonathan
Agrawal, Richa
Ansell, Troy
Aceves, Patrick
De Rosa, Igor
Xin, Wenbo
Luhrs, Claudia
Subjects
Electrically conductive composites
Carbon nanotubes
Reduction expansion synthesis
CNT composites
Carbon nanotubes
Reduction expansion synthesis
CNT composites
Advisors
Date of Issue
2020
Date
Publisher
Elsevier
Language
Abstract
The ability to translate the high electrical conductivity of individual carbon nanotubes to bulk carbon nanotube materials has proven challenging. In this work, we present the use of reduction expansion synthesis to attach copper nanoparticles to the surface of tubes within carbon nanotube sheets. Those metallic particulates serve as a link between the tube strands in the carbon nanotube network and promote an increase in electrical conductivity. The reduction expansion synthesis process included the introduction of copper salts into the carbon nanotube structure and thermal treatment of the sheets in the presence of urea, under inert atmospheres. As a result, through the reduction process promoted by the urea decomposition byproducts, copper nanoparticles directly nucleate on the nanotube surface. The enhanced conductive nature of the Cu-carbon nanotube sheets observed establishes reduction expansion synthesis as an inexpensive, rapid and scalable alternative to increase the electrical conductivity of bulk carbon nanotube materials.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.materresbull.2020.110969
Series/Report No
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
10 p.
Citation
Earp, Brian, et al. "Enhancement of Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Nanotube Sheets through Copper Addition Using Reduction Expansion Synthesis." Materials Research Bulletin (2020): 110969.
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.