Growing spin-capable multi-walled c

Growing spin-capable multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) forests in a repeatable fashion
will become possible through understanding the critical factors affecting the forest
growth. Here we show that the spinning capability depends on the alignment of adjacent
MWCNTs in the forest which in turn results from the synergistic combination of a high
areal density of MWCNTs and short distance between the MWCNTs. This can be realized
by starting with both the proper Fe nanoparticle size and density which strongly depend
on the sheet resistance of the catalyst film. We prove that a simple measurement of the
sheet resistance can allow one to reliably predict the growth of spin-capable forests. Further
investigation into the properties of pulled MWCNTs sheets demonstrated the relationship
between their electrical resistance and optical transmittance. Overlaying either 3, 5, or
10 sheets pulled out from a single forest produces much more repeatable characteristics.
Published by Elsevier Ltd