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

这个小企业创新研究第二阶段项目将开发、验证和演示一种用于低温合成垂直排列碳纳米管（VACNT）和纳米纤维（VACNF）的新技术。低温制备工艺对于降低VACNTs/VACNFs基材料和器件的成本和提高其质量至关重要。该项目将通过生产进一步推进和展示低温技术：一种新型的研究级反应器，具有四个特殊组件：用于独立VACNT/VACNF垂直对齐的RF等离子体源，用于催化纳米颗粒感应加热的GHz范围内可调频率的脉冲RF电源，消除基板焦耳加热的非导电基板;以及用于基板主动冷却的系统。从拟议的低温合成方法中预期的更广泛的影响将导致一种新型的研究级反应器和多尺度模拟器，用于在温度敏感材料表面的预选位置直接低温合成VACNTs。这种方法可能会导致一个新的美国高科技制造业务。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop, validate, and demonstrate a new technology for a low-temperature synthesis of vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) and nanofibers (VACNFs). The low-temperature manufacturing process is critical to decrease the cost and improve the quality of VACNTs/VACNFs-based materials and devices. This project will further advance and demonstrate the low-temperature technology by producing: a novel research-grade reactor with four special components: a RF plasma source for vertical alignment of free-standing VACNT/VACNF, a pulsed RF power source with tunable frequency in the GHz range for inductive heating of catalytic nanoparticles,.a nonconducting substrate to eliminate substrate Joule heating; and a system for active cooling of the substrate. The broader impacts anticipated from the proposed low-temperature synthesis approach will result in a novel research-grade reactor and a multiscale simulator for a direct, low-temperature synthesis of VACNTs at pre-selected locations on the surfaces of temperature-sensitive materials. This approach could lead to a new US-based high-technology manufacturing business.