Properties and structure of carbon nanotubes in the system C-Ni

Properties and structure of carbon nanotubes in the system C-Ni

E.Czerwosz 1, J.Kęczkowska2, E.Kowalska1, J.Radomska1, M.Suchańska2 , H.Wronka1
1 Tele- &Radio Research Institute. 00-241 Warszawa , ul. Długa 44/50
2Kielce University of Technology, 25-314 Kielce, al. 1000-lecia P.P. 7
Corresponding author: j.keczkowska (at) tu.kielce.pl

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) due to their unique features are promising material in such applications as storage of hydrogen, polymer additives, catalyst support material, efficient field emitters and electronic components.
We present results of Raman studies of CNT-Ni films obtained in two steps method. In the first step an initial film (produced by PVD method) was prepared. This initial film has multiphase composite-like structure with nanograins of fullerenes, amorphous carbon and nickel. The size of Ni nanocrystals was between 2 and 6 nm. In the second step CNTs were obtained by using CVD method. In this process the initial films were placed in a quartz reactor and the flow of argon and xylene was applied. During the gases flow a decomposition of xylene at 650oC was occurred. Products of the decomposition process reacted to Ni nanocrystals, which played a role of a catalyser an due to this CNTs growth was observed. Our SEM observations showed that form of nanotubes obtained with the various CVD process parameters is similar.
Raman studies of initial films obtained in the first step (PVD process) confirm the presence of both the fullerenes C60 in and some forms of graphite–like objects in the samples. Raman spectra of MWCNTs films contained: bands characteristic for carbon nanotube’s vibrations and some bands (in area over 2500 cm-1), which could be attributed to existence of different C-H and C-O bondings. Some shifts of characteristic bands for CNTs vibrations in region between 1300 – 1600 cm-1 for samples obtained with both various process parameters and during the measurement of different gases flow have been observed.

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