Skip to main content

Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nanotube-based Composites


EMSL Project ID
5101a

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed the rapid progress in the fabrication of functional nanostructured materials. We have succeeded in making a variety of nanomaterials including nanoparticles, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, nanowires, meseporous materials and nanocomposites through both physical and chemical approaches. In order to modify, alter and improve the properties of these nanostructured materials for potential applications in electronics, optics, biotissues, biosensors and catalysis, analysis and characterization of their composition, structure and interaction is demanding.

During the past decade carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have received a great deal of attention due to their novel mechanical and physical properties. The small diameters, hollow channels, high surface area and surface area to volume ratio, as well as the chemically inert properties, suggest that CNTs can serve as templates for making nanocomposite materials. We have reported that noble metals such as Pd, Rh and Ru can be loaded onto the external walls or filled inside the hollow channels of CNTs through hydrogen reduction of metal precursors in supercritical CO2. Recently we also loaded nickel nanoparticles onto multi-walled CNTs through electroless deposition. The objective of this research is to explore the potential applications of these CNT-based materials as catalysts for chemical or electrochemical process.

Project Details

Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2003-10-30
End Date
2006-10-04
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Sungho Jin
Institution
University of California, San Diego

Team Members

Xiang-Rong Ye
Institution
University of California, San Diego