Issue 1, 2019

Seamless interconnections of sp2-bonded carbon nanostructures via the crystallization of a bridging amorphous carbon joint

Abstract

Two multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were seamlessly connected via the crystallization of a bridging amorphous carbon (a-C) joint using a transmission electron microscope. Technically, such a CNT connection involves electron beam induced deposition of amorphous carbon at the gap between the two nanotubes, followed by a controlled Joule heating process. Upon heating, the deposited a-C crystalized into a multi-layer tubular structure that merges into open-ended CNT shells, forming continuous graphitic layers across the junction. For the first time, seamless repairing of a pure MWNT after its electrical breakdown is thus achieved, accompanied by the nearly full recovery of its electrical conductance. More generally, we demonstrated its usage in the seamless joining of any two nanotubes, regardless of their difference in diameter, chirality, shell number and axis orientation. Molecular dynamics calculations reveal more details on how the a-C joint evolves into coherent sp2-bonded networks connecting the given nanotube pairs, thus highlighting the unique ability of the C system to reconstruct itself into any required sp2 graphitic configuration at high temperature. This seamless-joining method can be further extended to the connection between nanotubes and graphene, exhibiting its particular technological importance for building novel sp2 carbon-based nanostructures and devices via the bottom-up approach.

Graphical abstract: Seamless interconnections of sp2-bonded carbon nanostructures via the crystallization of a bridging amorphous carbon joint

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
17 set 2018
Accepted
04 out 2018
First published
09 out 2018

Mater. Horiz., 2019,6, 72-80

Seamless interconnections of sp2-bonded carbon nanostructures via the crystallization of a bridging amorphous carbon joint

L. Zhao, Y. Cheng, Q. Zhang and M. Wang, Mater. Horiz., 2019, 6, 72 DOI: 10.1039/C8MH01154K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements