NOVEL CARBON NANOFIBER HAVING EMBEDDED CARBON NANOTUBES, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

摘要

A method of producing Stress Activated Pyrolytic Carbon-Carbon NanoTube (SAPC-CNT) fibers is disclosed. The fibers are a composite consisting of a tubular core of pristine graphite planes that include carbon nanotubes (CNTs) surrounded by semi-graphitic carbon material that includes Stress Activated Pyrolytic Carbon (SAPC), the SAPC being characterized by wavy graphite planes ranging from 0.1 nm to 1 nm and oriented parallel to the axis of each fiber, the semi-graphitic carbon material also being characterized by an inclusion of 4 to 10 atomic percent of nitrogen heteroatoms, the nitrogen heteroatoms including an above 60% of quaternary and pyridinic nitrogen groups.