Decoration of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes with Semiconductor Nanoparticles Using Atomic Layer Deposition

Anna Szabó; László Péter Bakos; Dániel Karajz; Tamás Gyulavári; Zsejke-Réka Tóth; Zsolt Pap; Imre Miklós Szilágyi; Tamás Igricz; Bence Parditka; Zoltán Erdélyi; Klara Hernadi

doi:10.3390/ma12071095

Decoration of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes with Semiconductor Nanoparticles Using Atomic Layer Deposition

Materials (Basel). 2019 Apr 2;12(7):1095. doi: 10.3390/ma12071095.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary. szabo.anna@chem.u-szeged.hu.
² Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Muegyetem rakpart 3., H-1111 Budapest, Hungary. laszlobakos@hotmail.com.
³ Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Muegyetem rakpart 3., H-1111 Budapest, Hungary. karda412@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary. gyulavarit@chem.u-szeged.hu.
⁵ Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary. tothzsejkereka@chem.u-szeged.hu.
⁶ Nanostructured Materials and Bio-Nano-Interfaces Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babeș⁻Bolyai University, Treboniu Laurian Str. 42, RO-400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. tothzsejkereka@chem.u-szeged.hu.
⁷ Nanostructured Materials and Bio-Nano-Interfaces Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babeș⁻Bolyai University, Treboniu Laurian Str. 42, RO-400271 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. pzsolt@chem.u-szeged.hu.
⁸ Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Szeged, Tisza Lajos krt. 103, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary. pzsolt@chem.u-szeged.hu.
⁹ Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Muegyetem rakpart 3., H-1111 Budapest, Hungary. imre.szilagyi@mail.bme.hu.
¹⁰ Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budafoki út 8. F. II Building, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary. igricz.tamas@gmail.com.
¹¹ Department of Solid State Physics, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 400, H-4002 Debrecen, Hungary. parditka.bence@science.unideb.hu.
¹² Department of Solid State Physics, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 400, H-4002 Debrecen, Hungary. zoltan.erdelyi@science.unideb.hu.
¹³ Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary. hernadi@chem.u-szeged.hu.

Abstract

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs or "CNT forest") were decorated with semiconductor particles (TiO₂ and ZnO) by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Both the structure and morphology of the components were systematically studied using scanning (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Characterization results revealed that the decoration was successful in the whole bulk of VACNTs. The effect of a follow-up heat treatment was also investigated and its effect on the structure was proved. It was attested that atomic layer deposition is a suitable technique for the fabrication of semiconductor/vertically aligned carbon nanotubes composites. Regarding their technological importance, we hope that semiconductor/CNT forest nanocomposites find potential application in the near future.

Keywords: atomic layer deposition; semiconductor particles; semiconductor/CNT forest nanocomposites; vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

Abstract

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