N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes: A Single-Step Synthesis Methodology

Utilizing aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD), they produced hybrid nanomaterials that mix the properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with some great benefits of steel nanoparticles.

A current research revealed within the journal Nanotechnology detailed the synthesis and characterization of those supplies, highlighting their structural and electrochemical properties and potential purposes in electronics and vitality storage.

The Position of Carbon Nanomaterials

Carbon nanomaterials, primarily CNTs, have gained important consideration as a consequence of their glorious electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. These options make them helpful in electronics, vitality storage, and composite supplies.

Incorporating nitrogen into the CNT construction additional enhances their electrochemical efficiency, leading to nitrogen-doped CNTs (N-CNTs) that carry out even higher in gadgets like supercapacitors and batteries. Nonetheless, optimizing synthesis situations stays a key problem for attaining high-quality N-CNTs with fascinating structural and purposeful traits.

Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

Researchers targeted on synthesizing N-MWCNTs on copper foil substrates utilizing a single-step AACVD technique with a precursor combination of benzylamine (C₇H₉N) and ferrocene (C₁₀H₁₀Fe). The experimental setup included a quartz tube reactor heated by a horizontal tubular furnace, with 40 cm-long copper foils serving as substrates.

The synthesis was carried out at 5 temperatures (750°C, 800°C, 850°C, 900°C, and 950°C) for 80 minutes below a managed argon-hydrogen fuel stream (1 L/min). This variation allowed the research of how warmth affected the morphology and properties of the N-MWCNTs.

After synthesis, the samples have been characterised utilizing methods like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Moreover, ImageJ software program was used to research nanoparticle sizes, whereas electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to guage capacitive habits.

Structural and Compositional Outcomes

Temperature considerably influenced the morphology, composition, and electrochemical habits of the N-MWCNTs grown on copper foils. At 750 °C, the fabric primarily consisted of multilayer graphene islands and Fe- and Cu-based nanoparticles encapsulated in graphitic carbon, with a number of CNTs additionally current, indifferent from the copper substrate.

SEM photos confirmed skinny tubular buildings with a median CNT diameter of roughly 8 nm and NP sizes of round 14 nm. EDS evaluation indicated atomic concentrations of carbon (C, 83.82%), Fe (10.94%), Cu (0.92%), and oxygen (O, 4.32%).

At 800 °C, the expansion shifted towards bamboo-shaped N-MWCNT bundles, with diameters starting from 5 nm to 40 nm and a excessive density of Fe and Cu nanoparticles. EDS confirmed optimum elemental composition with C (92.08%), Fe (5.59%), Cu (0.20%), and O (2.13%), suggesting environment friendly benzylamine decomposition and enhanced nitrogen incorporation. TEM confirmed that two distinct kinds of CNTs have been produced: thicker bamboo-shaped N-MWCNTs embellished with Fe nanoparticles and thinner CNTs probably catalyzed by Cu nanoparticles.

At 850-950 °C synthesis temperatures, bigger tubular-defective fiber-type carbonaceous aggregates (~500 nm) have been produced with fewer CNTs. EDS indicated fluctuating elemental concentrations, with pattern 950 exhibiting the very best Cu content material (5.74%) and the bottom Fe content material (2.88%).

Raman spectroscopy confirmed the graphitic nature of the synthesized supplies, exhibiting clear D, G, and 2D bands. The I_D/I_G ratio ranged from 0.79 to 0.88, indicating average structural dysfunction, whereas the G-band downshift advised improved graphitization.

EIS indicated that N-MWCNTs synthesized at 800 °C exhibited promising capacitive habits, with a cost switch resistance (R_ct) of 1884 Ω and a double-layer capacitance (C_dl) of 1.07×10^-1 Fcm^-2, making them appropriate for vitality storage purposes.

Against this, samples synthesized at 850 °C and 950 °C confirmed diffusion limitations and considerably decrease capacitance values, exhibiting that 800 °C offered essentially the most favorable steadiness of structural order and electrochemical efficiency.

Purposes of N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

The synthesized hybrid supplies have important potential to be used in vitality storage gadgets, primarily supercapacitors. The N-MWCNTs synthesized at 800 °C demonstrated low charge-transfer resistance and excessive double-layer capacitance, indicating glorious cost storage skill. Their nitrogen doping and ornament with steel nanoparticles improved electrochemical efficiency, making them appropriate for versatile electronics.

A key benefit of this technique is the direct progress of N-MWCNTs on copper substrates, which eliminates the necessity for binders or present collectors and reduces interfacial resistance. This simplification might allow the creation of light-weight, environment friendly, and steady vitality gadgets.

Past supercapacitors, these N-MWCNTs might additionally improve lithium-ion batteries and different quick cost–discharge methods. Their skill to fine-tune their construction and steel nanoparticle content material gives alternatives for catalysis and sensing purposes.

Conclusion and Future Instructions

This analysis efficiently demonstrated the single-step AACVD synthesis of N-MWCNTs on copper substrates, highlighting the robust affect of synthesis temperature on the morphology, composition, and electrochemical properties of the ensuing nanomaterials. The optimum temperature of 800 °C produced bamboo-shaped N-MWCNTs embellished with Fe and Cu nanoparticles, exhibiting excessive carbon content material and glorious capacitive habits.

Future work ought to focus not solely on fine-tuning synthesis parameters and exploring various precursor mixtures but additionally on testing completely different substrate supplies and deposition situations, which might yield a greater diversity of hybrid nanomaterials with tailor-made properties.

Investigating substrate modifications and hybrid materials designs could develop electrodes with improved electrochemical habits and purposes past vitality storage, akin to sensing and catalysis.

General, this research provides key insights into the managed progress of hybrid carbon nanomaterials and paves the way in which for modern purposes in a broader subject.

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Journal Reference

Padilla-Teniente, B, V., & et al. (2025). Copper foils as substrates for rising nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes. Nanotechnology, 36, 365601. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ae0042, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6528/ae0042

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