Diluent changes the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the electrophoretically-deposited layers of carbon nanotubes

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 403; pp. 206 - 217
• Main Authors: Benko, Aleksandra, Nocuń, Marek, Berent, Katarzyna, Gajewska, Marta, Klita, Łukasz, Wyrwa, Jan, Błażewicz, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Carbon nanotubes; EIS; Electrophoretic deposition; SEM; TEM; XPS; Carbon nanotubes; XPS; SEM; TEM; EIS; Electrophoretic deposition
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.01.146

[Display omitted] •Different properties of the EPD-deposited CNTs layers may be altered by changing the applied solvent.•More conductive solvents guarantee higher values of the recorded current densities, increasing kinetics of the deposition and yielding layers of higher thicknesses.•In a less conductive, organic medium, mobility of the particles is reduced, allowing for optimal packing and densification of the CNTs layer.•Proper solvent selection in the EPD of CNTs may lead to obtainment of CNTs—substrate materials with conductivity that is superior to an unmodified substrate. Coating the material of choice with a layer of well-adhered carbon nanotubes is a subject of interest in many fields of materials science and industry. Electrophoretic deposition is one of the methods to handle this challenging task. In this process, careful designing of the deposition parameters is crucial in obtaining the product of strictly desired properties. This study was aimed to identify the influence of the diluent on the physicochemical ad electrochemical qualities of the final product. By analyzing the properties of the suspensions being used, we were able to hypothesize on the mechanisms of carbon nanotubes—liquid interactions and their outcome on the thickness, homogeneity, chemical and structural composition and electrical conductivity of the metal substrate covered with a layer of carbon nanotubes. We obtained a materials, composed of metal and a layer of CNTs, with conductivity that is superior to an unmodified metal. This types of materials may find numerous applications in fabrication of novel electronic devices, including the implantable electrodes for biomedicine—as reported in our previous studies, these types of coating are biocompatible.