Browsing by Author "Brinson, Bruce"

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    Catalytic Growth of Carbon Nanotubes by Direct Liquid Injection CVD Using the Nanocluster [HxPMo12O40⊂H4Mo72Fe30(O2CMe)15O254(H2O)98-y(EtOH)y]
    (MDPI, 2018) Esquenazi, Gibran L.; Brinson, Bruce; Barron, Andrew R.
    The growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by direct liquid injection chemical vapor deposition (DLICVD) has been studied using the polyoxometalate cluster [HxPMo12O40⊂H4Mo72Fe30(O2CMe)15O254(H2O)98-y(EtOH)y] (FeMoC) as the catalyst with either ethanol or toluene as the carbon source. In order to screen different growth conditions a single large batch of FeMoC is required in order to eliminate variation in the catalyst precursor. The preparation of 6 g of FeMoC is possible by scaling (10×) literature reagent ratios. DLICVD studies of the FeMoC derived carbon product were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine the quality (G:D ratio) and purity of CNT content. With the use of ethanol as the carbon source, increasing the temperature in the injection zone (aspiration temperature) above 250 °C increases the yield, and results in a slight increase in the G:D ratio. The maximum yield is obtained with a growth temperature of 900 °C, while the G:D ratio is the highest at higher temperatures. Faster solution injection rates increase yield, but with a significant decrease in G:D, in fact no CNTs are observed in the product for the highest injection rate (10 mL/h). An optimum catalyst concentration of 1.25 wt.% is found, which influences both the catalyst:C and catalyst:H ratios within the system. Growth at 800 °C is far more efficient for toluene as a carbon source than ethanol. The resulting “process map” allows for large quantities of CNTs to be prepared by DLICVD.
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    Electrodeposition of Cu-SWCNT Composites
    (MDPI, 2019) Raja, Pavan M. V.; Esquenazi, Gibran L.; Gowenlock, Cathren E.; Jones, Daniel R.; Li, Jianhua; Brinson, Bruce; Barron, Andrew R.
    Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are used as a component of a plating solution of CuSO4 for direct current electrodeposition of Cu–SWCNT composites with varying nanotube proportions without the use of either a surfactant, a dispersing agent, or functionalization of the SWCNTs. The Cu–SWCNT composites are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The composites are comprised of metallic Cu and SWCNTs with minor oxide impurities, as well as the residual (Fe) catalyst from the unpurified SWCNTs, in addition to displaying nanotube-mediated morphological differences. EDX analysis of carbon (wt%) is close to quantitative with respect to the wt% of SWCNTs added to the electrolysis solution. The presence of SWCNTs decreases the oxidation of the copper, as well as changing the identity of the oxide from CuO, for electrolysis of Cu, to Cu2O. Hard adherent Cu–SWCNT coatings are prepared by the addition of Cu powder to the electrolysis solution. The approach described in this paper will enable controlled synthesis of metal-nanomaterial composites that can potentially be processed further into high ampacity electrical conductors.
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    Impurity-Induced Plasmon Damping in Individual Cobalt-Doped Hollow Au Nanoshells
    (American Chemical Society, 2014) Thibodeaux, Christyn A.; Kulkarni, Vikram; Chang, Wei-Shun; Neumann, Oara; Cao, Yang; Brinson, Bruce; Ayala-Orozco, Ciceron; Chen, Chih-Wei; Morosan, Emilia; Link, Stephan; Nordlander, Peter; Halas, Naomi J.; Laboratory for Nanophotonics; Rice Quantum Institute
    The optical properties of plasmonic nanoparticles in the size range corresponding to the electrostatic, or dipole, limit have the potential to reveal effects otherwise masked by phase retardation. Here we examine the optical properties of individual, sub-50 nm hollow Au nanoshells (Co-HGNS), where Co is the initial sacrificial core nanoparticle, using single particle total internal reflection scattering (TIRS) spectroscopy. The residual Co present in the metallic shell induces a substantial broadening of the homogeneous plasmon resonance line width of the Co-HGNS, where the full width at half-maximum (fwhm) broadens proportionately with increasing Co content. This doping-induced line broadening provides a strategy for controlling plasmon line width independent of nanoparticle size, and has the potential to substantially modify the relative decay channels for localized nanoparticle surface plasmons.