Study of the alignment of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using dielectrophoresis

摘要

Presented is the dielectrophoresis of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on piezoelectric substrates patterned with gold inter digitated electrodes. An alternating current oscillating at frequencies of 1 kHz and 150 kHz at a peak-to-peak (p-p) voltage of1IV to 10V was applied to the electrodes, aligning carbon nanotubes suspended in droplets of isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The carbon nanotubes were suspended in a dielectric medium (IPA) at a concentration of approx 0.1 mg/mL and stabilized with sodium citrate (0.02 mg/ml). Sonicated for two hours and spun down in a centrifuge for 30 minutes at 4500 rpm. The carbon nanotubes used in the DEP experimentation were multiwalled carbon nanotubes with aspect ratios of approx 100:1.