SBIR Phase I: Enabling Low-Temperature Synthesis of Vertically Aligned Carbon-Nanotubes by Selective Heating of Catalyst

SBIR 第一阶段：通过选择性加热催化剂实现垂直排列碳纳米管的低温合成

• 批准号: 0611099
• 负责人: Alexsey Vasenkov
• 金额: $ 9.95万
• 依托单位: CFD RESEARCH CORPORATION
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-01 至 2006-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0611099&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Enabling; Low; Temperature

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a new process of low-temperature synthesis of aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs). CNTs/CNFs are widely studied for manufacturing of novel nanomaterials and nanodevices. The prospects of this manufacturing are currently limited by the high (above 500 deg C) surface temperature during CNT/CNF synthesis, which often results in nanomaterial or device damage. We propose to develop a novel processing system where CNTs/CNFs will be grown at low temperature due to (i) delivering a supply of hydrocarbons on the surfaces of nanoparticles at low temperature using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and (ii) selective heating of catalytic nanoparticles using catalytic exothermic reactions and radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields generated by an RF source additional to that used to sustain discharge in PECVD reactor. This goal will be achieved by a combination of theoretical efforts at CFDRC and experimental research at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UTK). Theoretical efforts will be devoted to the analysis and multi-scale computational design of CNT/CNF synthesis using a reactor-scalesimulation of gas/plasma-phase processes, a Kinetic Monte Carlo analysis of the growth of CNTs, and a Molecular Dynamic modeling of self-assembly of atoms into CNTs. Phase I will show the feasibility of the proposed concepts using existing PECVD reactors for CNT/CNF growth at UTK. Phase II will be devoted to building a prototype of manufacturing reactor for the developed processes.Currently, CNTs are produced in very small quantities and cost more per gram than gold. The combined Phase I and Phase II efforts will result in a novel processing system for a direct synthesis of vertically aligned CNT structures at selective locations on the surfaces of temperature-sensitive materials. Immediate applications include manufacturing of CNT-based field emitters displays, pharmaceutical micro-reactors, bio and chemical sensors, probe tips for atomic force microscopes, and cold cathodes in X-ray devices.

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发一种低温合成定向碳纳米管(CNTs)和纳米纤维(CNF)的新工艺。碳纳米管/碳纳米管在制备新型纳米材料和纳米器件方面被广泛研究。目前这种制造的前景受到CNT/CNF合成过程中较高的表面温度(500℃以上)的限制，这往往会导致纳米材料或器件损坏。我们建议开发一种新的工艺系统，在这种系统中，碳纳米管/碳纳米纤维将在低温下生长，这是因为(I)使用等离子体增强化学气相沉积(PECVD)过程在纳米颗粒表面输送碳氢化合物，以及(Ii)利用催化放热反应和射频电磁场选择性加热催化纳米颗粒，射频电磁场是PECVD反应器中用于维持放电的额外射频源。这一目标将通过CFDRC的理论努力和田纳西大学诺克斯维尔分校(UTK)的实验研究相结合来实现。理论工作将致力于碳纳米管/碳纳米管合成的分析和多尺度计算设计，使用反应堆规模的气体/等离子体相过程模拟，碳纳米管生长的动力学蒙特卡罗分析，以及原子自组装成碳纳米管的分子动力学模型。第一阶段将展示在UTK使用现有的PECVD反应器进行CNT/CNF生长的拟议概念的可行性。第二阶段将致力于为所开发的工艺建造制造反应堆的原型。目前，碳纳米管的产量很小，每克的成本高于黄金。第一阶段和第二阶段的结合工作将产生一种新的处理系统，用于在温度敏感材料表面的选择性位置直接合成垂直排列的碳纳米管结构。直接的应用包括制造基于碳纳米管的场发射器显示器、制药微反应堆、生物和化学传感器、原子力显微镜的探针头和X射线设备中的冷阴极。