Issue 34, 2015

Catalyst-free growth of carbon nanotube arrays directly on Inconel® substrates for electrochemical carbon-based electrodes

Abstract

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) were grown directly on a pretreated Inconel® metallic substrate by thermal chemical vapor deposition without the need of catalyst addition. This experimental approach allows the substrate surface to act as both the catalyst and support for the CNTs growth therefore enhancing the connection between the two. It was found that uniformly dispersed and densely packed nano-sized, intrinsic catalytic particles, generated during the annealing pretreatment, allow the growth of the vertically aligned CNTs. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to assess the quality and the nature of the formed CNTs. Electrochemical measurements were performed to evaluate the possibility to use the Inconel/VACNTs system as an electrode material. As a proof of concept, the capacitive behavior of the VACNTs arrays coupled to the Inconel substrate as the active electrode material and the current collector, respectively, in supercapacitors is demonstrated.

Graphical abstract: Catalyst-free growth of carbon nanotube arrays directly on Inconel® substrates for electrochemical carbon-based electrodes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 May 2015
Accepted
27 Jul 2015
First published
27 Jul 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015,3, 17804-17810

Author version available

Catalyst-free growth of carbon nanotube arrays directly on Inconel® substrates for electrochemical carbon-based electrodes

R. M. Silva, A. C. Bastos, F. J. Oliveira, D. E. Conte, Y. Fan, N. Pinna and R. F. Silva, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2015, 3, 17804 DOI: 10.1039/C5TA03734D

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