US-South Africa Planning Visit: Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes using Continuous Chemical Vapor Deposition

这次计划访问将使PI和罗格斯大学博士后助理前往南非，以便与Diane Hildebrandt博士及其在威特沃特斯兰德大学（南非）的研究小组在碳纳米管领域开展联合研究项目。碳纳米管是一种独特的纳米结构，具有独特的结构特征和优异的力学、电学性能。尽管有这种巨大的兴趣，碳纳米管的合成及其在几个应用中的使用仍然非常具有挑战性。这次计划访问中提出的工作具有根本意义，因为它涉及在连续过程中合成碳纳米管及其在负载催化中的应用。负载型催化剂对于包括石油和炼油工业在内的许多工业是必不可少的。差的催化剂质量可导致反应选择性和产率降低，这可导致大量废物，需要昂贵的纯化和使用溶剂。传统的负载型催化剂的许多局限性可以通过使用碳纳米管（CNT）来克服，碳纳米管具有主要的介孔结构。这两个研究小组将带来独特的和互补的专业知识，罗格斯大学的新型固体支持催化剂和威特沃特斯兰德的纳米技术反应器系统和网络，合作项目。这种合作将打开一个沟通渠道，将促进两个研究小组之间正在进行的和未来的交流。通过将这两个研究小组结合在一起，我们将能够解决一系列新的问题，这些问题是每个小组无法单独解决的。该研究项目有可能使行业合作伙伴受益，并培养罗格斯大学和威特沃特斯兰德大学研究生研究项目的学生成为高技能和国际参与的科学家和工程师。该奖项由化学和运输系统部门共同资助。

This planning visit will enable the PI and a Rutgers University post-doctoral associate to travel to South Africa in order to develop a joint research project in the area of carbon nanotubes with Dr. Diane Hildebrandt and her research group at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). Carbon nanotubes are recognized as unique nanostructures with remarkable features and fascinating mechanical and electronic properties. Despite this large interest, the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and their use in several applications remain very challenging. The work proposed in this planning visit is of fundamental interest in that it concerns the synthesis of carbon nanotubes in a continuous process and their use in supported catalysis. Supported catalysts are essential to a large number of industries including the petroleum and refining industries. Poor catalyst quality can lead to reduced reaction selectivities and yields, which can result in large quantities of waste, requiring costly purifications and use of solvents. Many limitations of traditional supported catalysts can be overcome by using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which have a predominantly meso-porous structure. The two research groups will bring unique and complimentary expertise, Rutgers on novel solid-supported catalysts and Witwatersrand on nanotechnology reactor systems and networks, to the collaborative project.This collaboration will open a conduit of communication that will facilitate ongoing and future exchanges between the two research groups. By bringing together these two research groups, we will be able to tackle a new set of problems that could not be approached by each group separately. The research project has potential to benefit partners in industry and to train students in the graduate research programs at Rutgers University and the University of the Witwatersrand to become highly skilled and internationally-engaged scientists and engineers. This award is co-funded by the Division of Chemical and Transport Systems.