ZHU Jing-bo,ZOU Yang-jun,TANG Xiao-tian,YAN Bing,YUE Jian-ling,LIU Yu,HUANG Xiao-zhong.Effect of Silicon Dioxide Layer on the Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on the Surface of Graphene Oxide[J],52(10):287-294
Effect of Silicon Dioxide Layer on the Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on the Surface of Graphene Oxide
Received:October 10, 2022  Revised:October 16, 2022
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DOI:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2023.10.024
KeyWord:CVD  graphene oxide  carbon nanotubes  SiO2 layer
                    
AuthorInstitution
ZHU Jing-bo Powder Metallurgy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha , China
ZOU Yang-jun Powder Metallurgy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha , China
TANG Xiao-tian Air Force Military Delegate Bureau in Zhuzhou Military Representative Office, Army Armament Ministry, Hunan Zhuzhou , China
YAN Bing Powder Metallurgy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha , China
YUE Jian-ling Powder Metallurgy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha , China
LIU Yu Powder Metallurgy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha , China
HUANG Xiao-zhong Powder Metallurgy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha , China
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Abstract:
      The work aims to achieve the controllable growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) by depositing an intermediate layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2) on the surface of GO. A silicon dioxide-coated graphene oxide (GO@SiO2) was obtained through hydrolyzing drops of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the dispersion of GO with adjusted pH. Then, a layer of SiO2 was formed on the surface of GO. Subsequently, several SiO2-coated graphene oxide-carbon nanotubes hybrid materials (GO@SiO2-CNTs) were prepared by growing carbon nanotubes on the surface of GO@SiO2 through the method of floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for different deposition time. For comparison, some graphene oxide-carbon nanotubes hybrid materials (GO-CNTs) were prepared under the same CVD condition with GO without the SiO2 layer. The effect of the SiO2 layer on the growth of carbon nanotubes was further studied by comparing the results of SEM, STEM and EDS of the GO@SiO2-CNTs and GO-CNTs. Also, the possible mechanism of the SiO2 transition layer affecting the growth of CNTs was proposed. The result of EDS analyzation showed that a layer of silicon dioxide was uniformly deposited on the surface of graphene oxide after the hydrolyzing of TEOS at certain pH. SEM pictures indicated that the growth of CNTs on the GO was uneven with only few surfaces being covered by the CNTs, while the surface of GO@SiO2 was uniformly and densely covered with carbon nanotube arrays, forming a typical "brush" structure. Moreover, the density and length of the CNTs on the surface of GO@SiO2 can be modulated by altering the CVD time. The main reason for the growth of CNTs on the substrate is the interaction of the catalyst particles with the substrate material. There are two typical theories of the growth mechanism of CNTs:one is the top growth theory, and the other one is the bottom growth theory, which both involves the interaction of the catalyst particles with the substrate material. About 20 years ago, Professor Dai of Stanford University and his team characterized the surface of SiO2, indicating that there is a hydroxyl group like structure on the surface of SiO2 that makes its particles have a certain interaction with the metal. While in the CVD process of GO, the oxygen-containing functional groups are reduced by the reducing hydrogen atmosphere, leading to the reduction of the interaction with catalyst particles, which finally restrains the growth of CNTs on the surface. According to previously published papers, CNTs prefer to grow on SiO2 substrates rather than the silicon substrates. Thus, when GO is chosen as the substrate material, the morphology of CNTs grown on its surface by CVD is not good. Yet, after the modification with the SiO2 transition layer, the growth condition is much improved. Therefore, compared with GO substrates, CNTs are selectively grown on the surface of SiO2, which further proves that the SiO2 substrates are better than the GO substrates. In conclusion, the growth of CNTs on the GO substrate is greatly improved with the existence of SiO2 layer, which also helps to control the growth of length and density of the CNTs.
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