title: Fabrication of highly crystalline NbOx nanotube/cup-stacked CNT nanocomposites.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising catalyst supports for fuel cell applications. Metal oxide/CNT nanocomposites are also being studied for dye-sensitized solar-cell, photocatalyst, and sensor applications. The fabrication of nanocomposites consisting of highly crystalline NbOx nanotubes and cup-stacked carbon nanotubes (CSCNTs) is reported herein. The CSCNTs were selected for the carbon materials because of their distinctive structure. The CSCNTs were photochemically treated with vacuum ultraviolet light, which increased the amount of oxygen-containing functional groups therein. NbOx nanotubes with no defects were successfully prepared with the chemical treatment of highly crystalline, layered, flux-grown K4Nb6O17 crystals. First, K4Nb6O17 crystals were grown from a KCl flux at a holding temperature of 800 degrees C. Next, NbOx nanosheets were prepared from the layered K4Nb6O17 crystals via a two-step exfoliation process, which consists of proton exchange in an acid solution and intercalation of the tetrabutylammonium ions. The NbOx nanosheets were rolled up into nanotubes with diameters of about 20 nm and lengths of 100-500 nm on the surfaces of the CSCNTs; thus, unique and complex NbOx/CSCNT nanocomposites were successfully fabricated.
authors: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan.
authors: Sayaka
authors: S
authors: Suzuki
authors: Katsuya
authors: K
authors: Teshima
authors: SunHyung
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Kunio
authors: K
authors: Yubuta
authors: Takahiro
authors: T
authors: Ishizaki
authors: Toetsu
authors: T
authors: Shishido
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Oishi