Electrically Conductive Networks from Hybrids of Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Created by Laser Radiation

Alexander Yu Gerasimenko; Artem V Kuksin; Yury P Shaman; Evgeny P Kitsyuk; Yulia O Fedorova; Artem V Sysa; Alexander A Pavlov; Olga E Glukhova

doi:10.3390/nano11081875

Electrically Conductive Networks from Hybrids of Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene Created by Laser Radiation

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2021 Jul 22;11(8):1875. doi: 10.3390/nano11081875.

Authors

Alexander Yu Gerasimenko^{1

2}, Artem V Kuksin¹, Yury P Shaman³, Evgeny P Kitsyuk³, Yulia O Fedorova^{1

3}, Artem V Sysa³, Alexander A Pavlov⁴, Olga E Glukhova^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Biomedical Systems, National Research University of Electronic Technology MIET, Shokin Square 1, 124498 Moscow, Russia.
² Institute for Bionic Technologies and Engineering, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street 2-4, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
³ Scientific-Manufacturing Complex "Technological Centre", Shokin Square 1, bld. 7 off. 7237, 124498 Moscow, Russia.
⁴ Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt 32A, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
⁵ Department of Physics, Saratov State University, Astrakhanskaya Street 83, 410012 Saratov, Russia.

Abstract

A technology for the formation of electrically conductive nanostructures from single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), and their hybrids with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on Si substrate has been developed. Under the action of single pulses of laser irradiation, nanowelding of SWCNT and MWCNT nanotubes with graphene sheets was obtained. Dependences of electromagnetic wave absorption by films of short and long nanotubes with subnanometer and nanometer diameters on wavelength are calculated. It was determined from dependences that absorption maxima of various types of nanotubes are in the wavelength region of about 266 nm. It was found that contact between nanotube and graphene was formed in time up to 400 fs. Formation of networks of SWCNT/MWCNT and their hybrids with rGO at threshold energy densities of 0.3/0.5 J/cm² is shown. With an increase in energy density above the threshold value, formation of amorphous carbon nanoinclusions on the surface of nanotubes was demonstrated. For all films, except the MWCNT film, an increase in defectiveness after laser irradiation was obtained, which is associated with appearance of C-C bonds with neighboring nanotubes or graphene sheets. CNTs played the role of bridges connecting graphene sheets. Laser-synthesized hybrid nanostructures demonstrated the highest hardness compared to pure nanotubes. Maximum hardness (52.7 GPa) was obtained for MWCNT/rGO topology. Regularity of an increase in electrical conductivity of nanostructures after laser irradiation has been established for films made of all nanomaterials. Hybrid structures of nanotubes and graphene sheets have the highest electrical conductivity compared to networks of pure nanotubes. Maximum electrical conductivity was obtained for MWCNT/rGO hybrid structure (~22.6 kS/m). Networks of nanotubes and CNT/rGO hybrids can be used to form strong electrically conductive interconnections in nanoelectronics, as well as to create components for flexible electronics and bioelectronics, including intelligent wearable devices (IWDs).

Keywords: bioelectronics; carbon nanotubes; electrical conductivity; graphene sheets; hardness; hybrid nanostructures; intelligent wearable devices; laser radiation; nanoelectronics; networks.

Abstract

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