Determining the Controlling Mechanism of Electrostatically Induced Carbon Nanotube Rotation Using In Situ, Real-Time Polarized Raman Spectroscopy

摘要

Carbon nanotube rotation induced by an electric field is analyzed using in situ,real-time polarized Raman spectroscopy. This technique for monitoring a dynamicsystem enables a measurement of the change in carbon nanotube alignment for variousfield strengths and temperatures as a function of time after the field is applied. Thecalculated activation energy of carbon nanotube rotation is similar to that of theviscous flow of the thermoset polymer matrix. The experimental results are comparedto theoretical work from the literature concerning the diffusion of rigid rods inpolymer melts, which indicate a bulk viscosity controlling mechanism for carbonnanotube rotation.