Oxidation of Carbon Nanotubes in an Ionizing Environment

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• 作者：Ai Leen Koh ; Emily Gidcumb ; Otto Zhou ; Robert Sinclair
• 刊名：Nano Letters
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：February 10, 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：16
• 期：2
• 页码：856-863
• 全文大小：731K
• ISSN：1530-6992

文摘

In this work, we present systematic studies on how an illuminating electron beam which ionizes molecular gas species can influence the mechanism of carbon nanotube oxidation in an environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM). We found that preferential attack of the nanotube tips is much more prevalent than for oxidation in a molecular gas environment. We establish the cumulative electron doses required to damage carbon nanotubes from 80 keV electron beam irradiation in gas versus in high vacuum. Our results provide guidelines for the electron doses required to study carbon nanotubes within or without a gas environment, to determine or ameliorate the influence of the imaging electron beam. This work has important implications for in situ studies as well as for the oxidation of carbon nanotubes in an ionizing environment such as that occurring during field emission.