Meso-scale carbon nanotube self-assembled tube structures
OwnerCharles P. Marsh, Thomas A. Carlson +2inventors
InventorsCharles P. Marsh, Thomas A. Carlson, Peter B. Stynoski, Benjamin Ulmen
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Abstract
Multiple-scale self-assembled tube structures (SATS) comprising multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT) and processes for their nucleation and growth. These hierarchical and self-assembled SATS demonstrate the feasibility of controlled synthesis of macroscopic CNT structures and CNT-reinforced materials for use in broad applications such as structures, thermal transfer, electronics, fluid dynamics, and micro-fluidics.
Claims20
A Self-Assembled Tube Structure (SATS) grown on a substrate under specified process conditions comprising an elongate body comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes, said elongate body having a longitudinal axis and a proximal end and a distal end opposite said proximal end, said proximal end attached to said substrate either directly or indirectly by attachment to the substrate by non SATS material, said SATS being either hollow and having a central cavity or solid, said SATS being generally symmetrical around said longitudinal axis.
An array of at least 4 cross-shaped SATS in a 2×2 configuration, each of said at least 4 cross-shaped SATS comprised of five sections, a central core, and four appendage sections in contact with said central core, said five sections being substantially similar in shape and area and in the form of squares, said four appendage sections each being positioned at 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees and 270 degrees, respectively, and wherein an axis taken through the center of the 0 degree and 180 degree appendage of one of said SATS is aligned with an axis taken through the center of the 0 degree and 180 degree appendage of an adjacent SATS, and said 0 degree appendage is in contact with said 180 degree appendage of said adjacent cross-shaped SATS, and wherein an axis taken through the center of the 90 degree and 270 degree appendage of one of said SATS is aligned with an axis taken through the center of the 90 degree and 270 degree appendage of an adjacent SATS, and said 90 degree appendage is in contact with said 270 degree appendage of said adjacent cross-shaped SATS, thus forming a square shaped cavity central to said array having an area four times the area of an appendage.
A method of producing a Self-Assembled Tube Structure (SATS), said SATS comprising an elongate body comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes, said elongate body having a longitudinal axis and a proximal end and a distal end opposite said proximal end, said proximal end attached to said substrate either directly or indirectly to the substrate by non SATS material, said SATS being either hollow or solid, said SATS being generally symmetrical around said longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a prepared substrate in a reaction zone
- introducing a catalyst into said reaction zone, said catalyst functioning to build said SATS
- providing a source of carbon into said reaction zone
- providing an atmosphere of shield gas into said reaction zone to keep oxygen away from said reaction zone, and
- providing heat to said reaction zone, wherein at least one SATS is produced;
- wherein prepared substrate is a silicon substrate having channels and towers and is prepared by deep reactive ion etching, said carbon source and said catalyst are combined and are selected from the group consisting of ferrocene and metallocene, and are in solution, said solution being introduced into said reaction zone by atomization.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.