Nonthermal current-stimulated desorption of gases from carbon nanotubes.
The desorption of gases from carbon nanotubes is usually a slow process that limits the nanotubes' utility as sensors or as memristors. Here, we demonstrate that flow in the nanotube above the Poole-Frenkel conduction threshold can stimulate adsorbates to desorb without heating the sensor substantially. The method is general: alcohols, aromatics, amines, and phosphonates were all found to desorb. We postulate that the process is analogous to electron-stimulated desorption, but with an internally conducted rather than externally applied source of electrons.
Salehi-Khojin
Amin
A
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Lin
Kevin Y
KY
Field
Christopher R
CR
Masel
Richard I
RI