We report a high performance oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst based on vertically aligned, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube (VA-NCNT) arrays. Characterization in conditions analogous to the operation of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell show ORR taking place on the catalyst at a favorable reduction potential with a superior current density and greater rate constant.

Here we discuss spectroscopic investigation and characterization of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (VA-SWNT) arrays, which were synthesized using the alcohol catalytic CVD method [1]. Growth of the VA-SWNTs was monitored using an in situ absorbance measurement [2], which provides information about the growth process. Primary methods employed were Resonance Raman and UV-Vis-NIR...

Mechanical properties and deformation of the vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays (VA-CNTs) has been examined with large-displacement indentation tests inside a scanning electronic microscope (SEM). The in-situ indentation allows for establishment of the load-depth responses and real-time observations of the deformation processes. Under a cylindrical, flat indenter, the VA-CNTs exhibit ela...

Simple kinetic models of carbon nanotube growth have been able to successfully link together many experimental parameters involved in the growth of carbon nanotubes for practical applications including the prediction of growth rates, terminal lengths, number of walls, activation energies, and their dependences on the growth environment. The implications of recent experiments utilizing in situ m...

Carbon nanotubes and graphene are extra-ordinal material with remarkable electrical, optical, mechanical and thermal properties. Films of vertically aligned (VA-) SWNTs and horizontally aligned (HA-) SWNTs are synthesized on quartz and crystal quartz substrates, respectively. These aligned film should inherit the remarkable properties of SWNTs. The recent progress in growth control and characte...

The electromechanical properties of arrays of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes were studied in a parallel plate capacitor geometry. The electrostatic actuation was visualized using both optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and highly reproducible behaviour was achieved for actuation voltages below the pull-in voltage. The walls of vertically aligned carbon nanotub...

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes were selectively grown at temperatures as low as 120 8C by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition. We investigated the effects of acetylene, ethylene and methane as carbon source gases together with ammonia as an etchant and nickel as catalyst material. The diluted acetylene plasma gave the highest nanotube growth rate and showed the most intense C Swan b...