Towards a better understanding of FC-CVD carbon nanotube synthesis

碳纳米管（CNTs）由于其优异的电学、热学和力学性能而成为一种令人兴奋的材料。用于CNT合成的浮动催化剂化学气相沉积（FC-CVD）工艺允许连续生产CNT气凝胶。这些气凝胶可以作为纤维和垫直接从反应器中收集，用于一系列应用。自2004年在剑桥发明以来，FC-CVD工艺得到了深入研究，从而在理解该工艺的物理机制方面取得了突破。这些研究依赖于提取测量，但这些技术的局限性在我们对这一过程的理解中留下了盲点。我的目标是开发一种光学透明的FC-CVD反应器，能够进行原位拉曼，FTIR和其他测量的过程。这将允许更详细地研究FC-CVD生长过程，特别是关于不能使用提取技术测量的短寿命自由基物种的性质。该项目坚定地坐在EPSRC的能源和脱碳，工程的主题。碳纳米管是人类在其特殊的材料特性方面可以制造的前沿，这些特性使CNT具有解锁新技术和工程能力的潜力。然而，在FC-CVD反应器中CNT的合成尚未完全理解，使得难以将该工艺放大到工业规模，同时提供商业成功所需的效率。通过提高我们对FC-CVD CNT合成工艺的理解，我的目标是设计更高效的反应器。此外，我们的工艺将甲烷转化为固体碳（CNT）和氢气，后者可用于工业过程和清洁能源等应用。这个过程的二氧化碳浓度比蒸汽甲烷重整低得多，蒸汽甲烷重整是当今最常见的制氢方法。

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an exciting material due to their exception electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The floating catalyst chemical vapour deposition (FC-CVD) process for CNT synthesis allows the continuous production of CNT aerogels. These aerogels can be collected directly from the reactor as fibres and mats for use in a range of applications. Since its invention in Cambridge in 2004, the FC-CVD process has been intensively researched leading to breakthroughs in understanding of the physical mechanisms underlying the process. These studies have relied on extractive measurements, but the limitations of such techniques leave blind spots in our understanding of the process. I aim to develop an optically transparent FC-CVD reactor capable of performing in-situ Raman, FTIR and other measurements of the process. This will allow a more detailed study of the FC-CVD growth process, especially regarding the nature of short-lived radical species that cannot be measured using extractive techniques. This project sits firmly within the EPSRC's themes of energy and decarbonisation, and engineering. Carbon nanotubes are the frontier of what humans can make in terms of their exceptional material properties, these properties give CNTs the potential to unlock new technological and engineering capabilities. However, the synthesis of CNTs in FC-CVD reactors is not fully understood, making it difficult to scale the process up to industrial scales while providing the efficiency needed for commercial success. By improving our understanding of the FC-CVD process for CNT synthesis, I aim to enable the design of more efficient reactors. Additionally, our process converts methane into solid carbon (CNTs) and hydrogen, the latter can then be used in applications such as industrial processes and clean energy. This process has a much lower CO2 intensity than steam methane reforming, the most common method of hydrogen production today.