title: Plasma fluorination of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes: functionalization and thermal stability.
abstract: Grafting of fluorine species on carbon nanostructures has attracted interest due to the effective modification of physical and chemical properties of the starting materials. Various techniques have been employed to achieve a controlled fluorination yield; however, the effect of contaminants is rarely discussed, although they are often present. In the present work, the fluorination of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes was performed using plasma treatment in a magnetron sputtering chamber with fluorine diluted in an argon atmosphere with an Ar/F2 ratio of 95:5. The effect of heavily diluted fluorine in the precursor gas mixture is investigated by evaluating the modifications in the nanotube structure and the electronic properties upon plasma treatment. The existence of oxygen-based grafted species is associated with background oxygen species present in the plasma chamber in addition to fluorine. The thermal stability and desorption process of the fluorine species grafted on the carbon nanotubes during the fluorine plasma treatment were evaluated by combining different spectroscopic techniques.
authors.affiliation: Chimie des Interactions Plasma-Surface, CIRMAP, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Struzzi
authors.affiliation: Chimie des Interactions Plasma-Surface, CIRMAP, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scardamaglia
authors.affiliation: Materia Nova Research Center, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hemberg
authors.affiliation: Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Strada Statale 14 km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petaccia
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Carbon Nanostructures (CARBONNAGe), University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Colomer
authors.affiliation: Chimie des Interactions Plasma-Surface, CIRMAP, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium; Materia Nova Research Center, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Rony
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Snyders
authors.affiliation: Chimie des Interactions Plasma-Surface, CIRMAP, University of Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
keywords: carbon nanotubes; spectroscopy; synchrotron radiation; thermal stability