title: Unveiling the Role of CNTs in the Phase Formation of One-Dimensional Ferroelectrics.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have the potential to act as templates or bottom electrodes for three-dimensional (3D) capacitor arrays, which utilize one-dimensional (1D) ferroelectric nanostructures to increase the memory size and density. However, growing a ferroelectric on the surface of CNTs is nontrivial. Here, we demonstrate that multiwalled (MW) CNTs decrease the time and temperature for the formation of lead zirconium titanate Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 (PZT) by ∼100 °C commensurate with a decrease in activation energy from 68 ± 15 to 27 ± 2 kJ/mol. As a consequence, monophasic PZT was obtained at 575 °C for MWCNTs/PZT, but for pure PZT, traces of pyrochlore were still present at 650 °C, where the PZT phase formed due to homogeneous nucleation. The piezoelectric nature of MWCNTs/PZT synthesized at 500 °C for 1 h was proven. Although further work is required to prove the concept of 3D capacitor arrays, our result suggests that it is feasible to utilize MWCNTs as templates/electrodes for the formation of 1D PZT nanoferroelectrics.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Ceramics Engineering, CICECO - Aveiro Materials Institute, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sir Robert Hadfield Building, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Reaney
authors.affiliation: §Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Pedro M F J
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: ∥Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States.
authors.forename: Angus I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Kingon
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kónya
authors.forename: Ákos
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Kukovecz
authors.affiliation: †Department of Materials and Ceramics Engineering, CICECO - Aveiro Materials Institute, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Vilarinho