Open AccessCharacterization and selective deposition of carbon nanotubes from carbon nanoparticles mixture using mild acid treatment and electrokinetic manipulation
Author(s) -
Abdullah Abdulhameed,
Mohd Nazim Mohtar,
Mohd Nizar Hamidon,
Ishak Mansor,
Izhal Abdul Halin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
materials research express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.383
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2053-1591
DOI - 10.1088/2053-1591/ac017e
Subject(s) - materials science , carbon nanotube , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , high resolution transmission electron microscopy , dispersity , raman spectroscopy , dynamic light scattering , nanotechnology , scanning electron microscope , transmission electron microscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemical engineering , nanoparticle , optics , chemistry , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry , composite material , engineering , physics
Particle manipulation is often required in the fabrication of microelectronic devices such as transistors and sensors. In this work, we succeeded in depositing aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from an oxidized conglomerates carbon mixture using a simple low power procedure consisting of mild acid treatment and frequency-dependent dielectrophoretic (DEP) force. The treatment improved the dispersity and solubility of CNTs due to the functional groups introduced on their surface. The DEP force was generated with an AC signal of 1 MHz and 7.07 V rms to attract the CNTs to a transparent electrode gap of 50 μ m. Treatment quality was confirmed and characterized by Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to analyze the dispersity and solubility of carbon particles and their size distribution in different solvents. The morphology of the deposited CNTs and amorphous carbon were observed by optical microscope and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The procedure used in this work is cost-effective, scalable and essential for future assembly. Furthermore, the transparency of the system makes it suitable for real-time observation, transparent sensors, and the ability to integrate it into microfluidic channels.