title: Wet catalyst-support films for production of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.
abstract: A procedure for vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VA-CNT) production has been developed through liquid-phase deposition of alumoxanes (aluminum oxide hydroxides, boehmite) as a catalyst support. Through a simple spin-coating of alumoxane nanoparticles, uniform centimer-square thin film surfaces were coated and used as supports for subsequent deposition of metal catalyst. Uniform VA-CNTs are observed to grow from this film following deposition of both conventional evaporated Fe catalyst, as well as premade Fe nanoparticles drop-dried from the liquid phase. The quality and uniformity of the VA-CNTs are comparable to growth from conventional evaporated layers of Al(2)O(3). The combined use of alumoxane and Fe nanoparticles to coat surfaces represents an inexpensive and scalable approach to large-scale VA-CNT production that makes chemical vapor deposition significantly more competitive when compared to other CNT production techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, MS 222, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
authors.forename: Noe T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Christopher E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Cary L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Pint
authors.forename: Alvin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orbaek
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Aldo L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Frosinini
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tour
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Hauge
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D007501:Iron; D000537:Aluminum Oxide