1 research outputs found
Plasma Fluorination of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes
Functionalization of vertically aligned
multiwalled carbon nanotube
carpets was performed via exposure to CF<sub>4</sub> or Ar:F<sub>2</sub> RF plasmas. Rapid fluorination was observed via X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS) with surface fluorine concentration, bonding type,
and patterning dependent on gas mixture and exposure time. Surface
properties of the v-MWCNTs forests have been changed by the introduction
of fluorine-containing groups, as demonstrated via surface wettability
studies, while scanning electron microscopy shows that overall nanotube
alignment and separation is conserved. Scanning X-ray photoelectron
spectromicroscopy (SPEM) shows that the plasma treatment results in
selective functionalization of the surface tips of the nanotubes.
This opens the way to nanotube carpet structures with activated surfaces,
which maintain the desirable conductive properties of the pristine
nanotubes near to the substrate