title: Engineering the activity and lifetime of heterogeneous catalysts for carbon nanotube growth via substrate ion beam bombardment.
abstract: We demonstrate that argon ion bombardment of single crystal sapphire leads to the creation of substrates that support the growth of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes from iron catalysts with a density, height, and quality equivalent to those grown on conventional, disordered alumina supports. We quantify the evolution of the catalyst using a range of surface characterization techniques and demonstrate the ability to engineer and pattern the catalyst support through control of ion beam bombardment parameters.
authors: Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , Dayton, Ohio 45433, United States.
authors: A E
authors: AE
authors: Islam
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Nikolaev
authors: P B
authors: PB
authors: Amama
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Saber
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Zakharov
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Huffman
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Erford
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Sargent
authors: S L
authors: SL
authors: Semiatin
authors: E A
authors: EA
authors: Stach
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Maruyama
keywords: Carbon nanotubes; catalyst support; heterogeneous catalyst; ion beam bombardment