title: Multi-branching carbon nanotubes via self-seeded catalysts.
abstract: A novel multi-branching carbon nanotube (CNT) structure is synthesized by direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The structure consists of aligned CNTs which have branches of smaller diameters growing aligned along a direction perpendicular to the original CNT. The mechanism of branching is explained in terms of a self-seeding of Ni catalyst which is transferred by sputtering from the original catalyst particles in the backbone CNTs to the walls of those CNTs. It is also shown that the branching induced a large increase in surface area and total nanotube length and can be beneficial in supporting very fine Pt nanoparticles for fuel cell and other catalytic applications. Such an array of Y-junction nanostructures could be useful for the fabrication of a high-density array of nanoelectronics switches and transistors.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering Program, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0411, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Aubuchon
authors.forename: Li-Han
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daraio
authors.forename: Sungho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010984:Platinum; D009532:Nickel