High degree of N-functionalization in macroscopically assembled carbon nanotubes

Nitrogen doping of carbon nanomaterials has emerged as a method to develop novel material properties, though limitations in the form of extended treatment times, harsh chemical usage and limited total nitrogen content exist. Here, macroscopic ribbon-like assemblies of carbon nanotubes are functional...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of materials science Vol. 57; no. 28; pp. 13314 - 13325
Main Authors McGlynn, Ruairi J., Brunet, Paul, Chakrabarti, Supriya, Boies, Adam, Maguire, Paul, Mariotti, Davide
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Springer US 01.07.2022
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Boron nitride
Carbon
Carbon nanotubes
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Chemical Routes to Materials
Chemical vapor deposition
Chemistry and Materials Science
Classical Mechanics
Crystallography and Scattering Methods
Direct current
Electrolysis
Ethanol
Ethylenediamine
Ethylenediamines
Force and energy
Graphene
Hydrogen
Material properties
Materials Science
Nanomaterials
Nanotubes
Nitrogen
Photoelectrons
Plasma
Polymer Sciences
Precursors
Production processes
Quantum dots
Solid Mechanics
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Summary:Nitrogen doping of carbon nanomaterials has emerged as a method to develop novel material properties, though limitations in the form of extended treatment times, harsh chemical usage and limited total nitrogen content exist. Here, macroscopic ribbon-like assemblies of carbon nanotubes are functionalized with nitrogen using a simple direct current-based plasma–liquid system. This system utilizes the plasma-generated species in an ethanol:water solution with ethylenediamine as a nitrogen precursor for the nitrogen functionalization of the carbon nanotube assembly. These unique, plasma-generated species and pathways enable rapid and high levels of functionalization with the atomic concentration of nitrogen reaching 22.5%, with amine groups, pyrrolic groups and graphitic nitrogen observed in the X-ray photoelectron spectra, the highest ever achieved. This nitrogen content is demonstrated to be significantly higher than a comparative electrolysis process. This demonstrates that this plasma process enhances the availability of nitrogen from the ethylenediamine precursor, facilitating greater functionalization. Graphical abstract
ISSN:0022-2461
1573-4803
DOI:10.1007/s10853-022-07463-7