Fabrication and Modification of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for High Performance Electrochemical Electrode

摘要

@@1.Introduction Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a group of one-dimensional carbon materials with graphite sheet(s) roll-up to be a cylinder with diameter in nanometers. They present significant opportunities to basic science and nanotechnology, and pose significant challenges for novel materials and electronics due to their unique physical properties and extra strong mechanical strength [1-3]. The subtle electronic properties suggest that carbon nanotubes have the ability to promote electrontransfer reactions when used as an electrode material in electrochemical reactions, representing a new application of carbon nanotubes. The better performance of the carbon nanotube electrodes in comparison with other forms of carbon electrode has been attributed to the carbon nanotube dimensions, the electronic structure, and the topological defects present on the tube surface [4]. Furthermore, it has been proved that carbon nanotubes have better conductivity than graphite [5].