Welding of Carbon Nanotubes to solid Surfaces using Microwave-Plasma

TL;DR

This paper presents a microwave plasma method for welding carbon nanotubes onto various solid surfaces, highlighting the influence of substrate properties on welding efficiency and nanotube quality.

Contribution

It introduces a simple microwave plasma process for attaching CNTs to solids and analyzes how substrate properties affect welding success and nanotube integrity.

Findings

Welding efficiency is higher on polystyrene due to lower softening point.

Glass substrates prevent continuous nanotube layer formation.

Defects in CNTs are introduced but are minimal and potentially beneficial.

Abstract

The work here has demonstrated the use a simple microwave plasma process for welding carbon nanotubes onto solid surfaces such as plastics and glasses, it was found that due to the lower softening point and viscosity of polystyrene (compared to glass samples), welding of carbon nanotubes on polystyrene surface can be achieved with higher efficiency, whilst the high softening point (and melt viscosity) of lime-soda and borosilicate glasses prevents the nanotubes from forming a continuous layer. Analysis of the quality of nanotubes by Raman spectroscopy confirmed that some defects are introduced to the CNT graphitic structure. However, these defects are not significant and can actually be useful for some application.