Steven Compère

Development of Nanoporous Membranes from Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube forest

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) mats are materials with properties that make them suitable for numerous applications; in particular, they are increasingly used as nanoporous membranes due to their unique properties and structural characteristics. Their cylindrical structure, high aspect ratio, and nanoscale dimensions give them a high surface-to-volume ratio. Their large surface area, tunable chemical properties, and exceptional mechanical strength make them suitable for a wide range of applications.
A preferred and industrially scalable method for synthesizing high-quality VACNTs is aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACCVD). This method has been developed at atmospheric pressure and high temperatures (800 to 850°C) [1,2] as well as at lower temperatures around 600°C [3], enabling the production of a wide range of VACNTs in terms of diameters and densities.
This postdoctoral position is part of the ANR CANELONI project, which aims to develop innovative and efficient hybrid systems inspired by biology, exhibiting high ionic permeability and selectivity, in which a biological ion channel is confined within a carbon nanotube.

This postdoctoral research project is a collaboration between NIMBE-LEDNA, based at CEA-Saclay, and L2C at the University of Montpellier. It will involve developing nanoporous membranes from networks of aligned carbon nanotube mats, whose hollow cores form the nanopores. This development will involve three steps: the synthesis of aligned nanotube mats, the impregnation of the nanotube mats with various polymers, thinning by polishing, and the physicochemical characterization of the resulting membranes.
Before being transformed into membranes, the VACNT mats will be thoroughly characterized. Their morphology will be observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), possibly coupled with chemical analysis via SEM-EDX. Raman spectroscopy will be used to characterize the structural quality of the VACNTs. Finally, the outer and inner diameters will be measured using transmission electron microscopy, allowing the nanotube density to be determined.

[1] M. Pinault et al. (2005), Carbon 43, 2968–76.

[2] C. Castro et al. (2013), Carbon 61, 585–94.

[3] F. Nassoy et al. (2019) Nanomaterial 9, 1590.

[4] R. Xiang et al. (2008), J. Phys. Chem. C 112, 4892–6.

[5] E. Einarsson et al. (2008), Carbon 46, 923–30.