Capillarity-driven assembly of two-dimensional cellular carbon nanotube foams

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Mar 23;101(12):4009-12. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0400734101. Epub 2004 Mar 11.

Abstract

Capillary forces arising during the evaporation of liquids from dense carbon nanotube arrays are used to reassemble the nanotubes into two-dimensional contiguous cellular foams. The stable nanotube foams can be elastically deformed, transferred to other substrates, or floated out to produce free-standing macroscopic fabrics. The lightweight cellular foams made of condensed nanotubes could have applications as shock-absorbent structural reinforcements and elastic membranes. The ability to control the length scale, orientation, and shape of the cellular structures and the simplicity of the assembly process make this a particularly attractive system for studying pattern formation in ordered media.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Manufactured Materials
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Nanotubes, Carbon* / chemistry
  • Nanotubes, Carbon* / ultrastructure

Substances

  • Nanotubes, Carbon