Abstract:
The present study introduces a process to grow micro-honeycomb (m-HC) vertically aligned carbon
nanotubes (VACNTs) using thermal chemical vapor deposition technique. Methane is used as a
source of carbon and hydrogen gas as a reducing agent. Where, the fabricated m-HC structure
reported in literature involves complex synthesis process and requires a catalyst layer, the novelty
of the process used here lies in the fact that no catalyst layer is used for the growth of CNT network,
rather copper foil is used as a substrate. The in-situ cracking of CNTs due to water treatment
leads to the formation of m-HC CNT network, which is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Further
scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that the length of developed m-HC CNT is 5 mm.
Hexagonal m-HC network shows more than 94% absorption in UV-Vis-NIR wavelength region. The
designed process provides high-yield with a low-cost synthesis of vertically aligned CNTs having
3D microarchitecture. The fabricated CNT network can be used as an electrode for supercapacitor,
as an active layer in a photovoltaic cell and most of the energy harvesting devices.
