Highly concentrated 3D macrostructure of individual carbon nanotubes in a ceramic environment

Abstract

A highly concentrated 3D macrostructure of individual multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is practically realized in a ceramic environment with poreless/intimate interfaces by a scalable aqueous colloidal approach. This concept dramatically improves not only the transport property and network connectivity of the MWCNT 3D macrostructures (a DC-conductivity of nearly 5000 S m(-1) ) but also the strain tolerance of the ceramic environment. Such low-cost and novel MWCNT/ceramic hybrids have many potential functional and structural applications.