Entry Date:
May 14, 2019

Improving Resource Use in Carbon Nanotube Synthesis

Principal Investigator Desiree Plata


Current synthetic approaches for carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis are energy and reactant consumptive, with mass conversion efficiencies between 0.01-10%! Furthermore, the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) used to produce some CNTs can result in the unintended release of several chemicals of environmental concern (such as toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, smog-forming volatile organic compounds, and soot-like materials that reduce the CNT product quality). We aim to use a mechanistic chemical understanding to reduce the formation of these unwanted materials, reduce the energetic costs of the synthesis, and improve the quality of the CNT material.