Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Effects of Ligand Monolayers on Catalytic Nickel Nanoparticles for Synthesizing Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers

Published

Author(s)

Kate L. Klein, Mehmet Sarac, Robert Wilson, Aaron C. Johnston-Peck, Junwei Wang, Ryan Pearce, Anatoli V. Melechko, Joseph B. Tracy

Abstract

Vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) were synthesized using ligand-stabilized Ni nanoparticle (NP) catalysts and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Using chemically-synthesized Ni NPs enables facile preparation of VACNF arrays with monodisperse diameters below the size limit of thin film lithography. During pregrowth heating, the ligands catalytically convert into graphitic shells that prevent the catalyst NPs from agglomerating and coalescing, resulting in a monodisperse VACNF size distribution. In comparison, significant agglomeration occurs when the ligands are removed before VACNF growth, giving a broad distribution of VACNF sizes. The ligand shells are also promising for patterning the NPs and synthesizing complex VACNF arrays.
Citation
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume
3
Issue
4

Keywords

carbon nanofibers, nanoparticles, nickel, chemical vapor deposition, catalyst, ligand

Citation

Klein, K. , Sarac, M. , , R. , Johnston-Peck, A. , Wang, J. , Pearce, R. , Melechko, A. and Tracy, J. (2011), Effects of Ligand Monolayers on Catalytic Nickel Nanoparticles for Synthesizing Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces (Accessed March 28, 2024)
Created March 16, 2011, Updated February 19, 2017