Demonstrates Enhanced Atomic Penetrability of Patterned Carbon Nanotubes
Applicable to Next-Generation Gas Sensors and Energy Devices
Lays the Foundation for Leading Country in Nanostructure Fabrication and Carbon Nanotube Processing Technologies

 

On Novermber 7, Professor Ahn Joonsung from Korea University Sejong Campus, in collaboration with Professor Park Inkyu and Professor Kim Sanha from KAIST Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Jung Junho from the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, announced the development of a high-precision nanopatterning technology to enhance the atomic penetrability of carbon nanotubes. This technology is expected to be useful in next-generation gas sensors and energy devices, setting the stage for Korea to lead in nanostructure fabrication and carbon nanotube processing technologies.

△ From left: Professor Ahn Joonsung (Korea University Sejong Campus), Ha jihwan (KAIST doctoral student), Yang Inyoung (doctoral student), Professor Park Inkyu, Professor Kim Sanha, and Lead Researcher Jung Junho (Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials)

 

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylindrical structures composed of carbon atoms — the main component of diamond — arranged in hexagonal rings, with diameters in the nanometer scale (1 nanometer = one-billionth of a meter). Carbon nanotubes are known for their excellent electrical and thermal conductivity and their strength, which surpasses that of steel. These properties make them highly applicable to semiconductors, sensors, chemical industries, and defense industries. However, due to their limited mechanical elasticity and chemical reactivity, surface coatings with metals or ceramics are required to overcome these limitations for practical applications. Thus, developing technologies to coat the surfaces of carbon nanotubes with functional materials at the atomic level is essential.

 

To implement high-performance semiconductors, sensors, and energy devices, it is necessary to coat functional materials on vertically grown carbon nanotubes. However, synthesized carbon nanotubes have high aggregation rates and low atomic permeability, making it challenging to uniformly coat functional materials on their internal structures. Although various strategies, such as micro-patterning of carbon nanotubes, are being developed worldwide to overcome this limitation, the implementation of carbon nanotubes with uniformly high atomic permeability remains inadequate.

 

To address this, the research team developed a process integrating nanoimprinting process capable of transferring precisely fabricated metal or metal oxide nanostructures. As a result, they successfully grew carbon nanotubes along various nanostructure patterns, improving the quality of functional material coatings through enhanced atomic permeability. For instance, ceramic atoms deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on nanopatterned carbon nanotubes overcame the limitations of low deposition uniformity caused by the high aggregation rates of conventional carbon nanotubes. This resulted in uniform ceramic coatings from the top to the bottom of the nanopatterned carbon nanotubes at the nanoscale.

△ Strategy and Applications for Improving Atomic Permeability of Nanopatterned Carbon Nanotubes

 

Such improvements in ceramic coating quality enhance the mechanical recovery properties of carbon nanotubes, which is crucial for the repetitive use and industrial application of semiconductors, sensors, and energy devices. Furthermore, physical deposition methods like electron-beam evaporation also showed improved atomic penetration by nanopatterned carbon nanotubes, where metal was deposited internally, whereas in unpatterned carbon nanotubes, metal deposition was limited to the top. These advancements in metal deposition quality act as catalysts in applications like gas sensors, enabling more sensitive and reactive sensor technologies.

 

Professor Ahn stated, “The nanopatterning process for vertically aligned carbon nanotubes we developed is expected to resolve the fundamental issue of low atomic permeability in carbon nanotube functional coatings. This could lead to widespread industrial applications of carbon nanotubes, including mechanical and chemical applications. This research lays the groundwork for Korea to become a dominant leader in nanotechnology, specifically in structuring and functionalizing nanomaterials.”

△ Process Strategy for Fabricating Nanopatterned Carbon Nanotubes

 

This study, jointly authored by Professor Ahn, Doctoral students Ha and Yang, has been published in the May 2024 online edition of the prestigious international journal ‘Advanced Functional Materials Impact Factor: 19, JCR Top 4.2%’. The paper is titled Nanotransfer Printing for Synthesis of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes with Enhanced Atomic Penetration.

 

The research was supported by funding from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, and KAIST. It was carried out under the auspices of the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Mid-Career Researcher Program, the Industrial Technology Alchemist Project, and the Leap Research Project.

 

KU Sejong Student PR Team, KUS-ON

Translator: Seo Yujeong