Cs+ sputtered clusters from multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphite

TL;DR

This study investigates cesium sputtering effects on multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphite, revealing how irradiation influences cluster formation, sputtering yields, and structural modifications observed via SEM.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of sputtered carbon clusters from nanotubes and graphite, highlighting the role of cesium adsorption and bombardment in structural and compositional changes.

Findings

Nanotubes and graphite produce different sputtered species.

Structural changes in nanotubes observed via SEM.

Cesium influences cluster formation and sputtering processes.

Abstract

Experiments with multiwalled carbon nanotubes and graphite as targets in a source of negative ions with cesium sputtering have shown that nanotubes with nanometer radii and micrometer length can be compared with micrometer size graphite grains to understand the irradiation effects that include the formation, sputtering of carbon clusters and the resulting structural changes. The simultaneous adsorption of cesium on the surface and bombardment by energetic cesium ions is shown to play its role in the cluster formation and sputtering of carbon atoms and clusters and the cesium substituted carbon clusters as anions. Qualitative and quantitative sputtered species outputs are related to their respective structures. Structural changes are shown to occur in MWCNTs and seen in SEM micrographs. The individual identity of the heavily bombarded MWCNTs may have given way to the merged structures while effects on the structure of heavily irradiated graphite grains size needs to be further investigated