Proof-of-Concept: Assembling Carbon Nanocrystals for Ordered 3D Network.

摘要

In this work, we developed a simple process to assemble a 3D ordered network consisting of alternative stacks of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes array and horizontally aligned graphene sheets. The interface between carbon nanotube and graphene sheets was tailored by an ultra-thin binder material and process parameters. The experimental results indicated that a 150nm-thickness binder was preferred for the successful assembly due to the difficulty in the control of binder morphology although theoretically a 10nm thickness was sufficient. The optimal contact pressure for the effective assembly was 8MPa. In the 3D network, carbon nanotubes were vertically aligned and all the single nanotubes were separated with each other, resulting in a large specific surface area and tailored porosity. As-fabricated 3D architecture was very stable if the compress force was less than 8MPa and aligned with the nanotube axial direction. The properties of as-fabricated 3D network can be tailored through the nanoscale morphology and interfaces for desired applications.