In this presentation, several important aspects of fabricating and post-processing of Carbon Nanotube (CNT) sheets and fibers will be highlighted. Spinnable CNT arrays have been synthesized by CVD. Assembling the CNTs was achieved by dry spinning. In some cases, chemical crosslinking was applied to increase the strength of CNT sheets and fibers. Atmospheric pressure plasma functionalization was used to modify their surfaces for certain applications. The electrical conductivity and strength of the CNT fibers were manipulated by doping with metals or through densification. Some advanced applications of CNT sheets and fibers will be presented including sensors, antennas, heaters and supercapacitors.
The second part of the talk will discuss synthesis characterization and applications of a novel 3D graphene material. Graphene pellets have been synthesized by CVD using Ni catalyst particles, which have been later removed by acid treatment. The 3D graphene pellets were then converted into a thin graphene paper by pressing, which preserved the initial 3D structure of graphene. Applications of 3D graphene will be also presented, include electromagnetic interference shielding, coin cell and flexible supercapacitors.
University of Cincinnatti, USA