title: Impact of Silicon Nanocrystal Oxidation on the Nonmetallic Growth of Carbon Nanotubes.
abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) growth has been demonstrated recently using a number of nonmetallic semiconducting and metal oxide nanoparticles, opening up pathways for direct CNT synthesis from a number of more desirable templates without the need for metallic catalysts. However, CNT growth mechanisms using these nonconventional catalysts has been shown to largely differ and reamins a challenging synthesis route. In this contribution we show CNT growth from partially oxidized silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) that exhibit quantum confinement effects using a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. On the basis of solvent and a postsynthesis frgamentation process, we show that oxidation of our Si NCs can be easily controlled. We determine experimentally and explain with theoretical simulations that the Si NCs morphology together with a necessary shell oxide of ∼1 nm is vital to allow for the nonmetallic growth of CNTs. On the basis of chemical analysis post-CNT-growth, we give insight into possible mechanisms for CNT nucleation and growth from our partially oxidized Si NCs. This contribution is of significant importance to the improvement of nonmetallic catalysts for CNT growth and the development of Si NC/CNT interfaces.
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Conor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rocks
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Somak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitra
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macias-Montero
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) , Central 2, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Svrcek
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Levchenko
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.|Joint CSIRO-QUT Sustainable Materials and Devices Laboratory, CSIRO , P.O. Box 218, Lindfield, New South Wales 2070, Australia.
authors.forename: Kostya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ostrikov
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mariotti
keywords: carbon nanotubes; nanocomposite; nonmetallic catalyst; plasma; silicon nanocrystals