Electronic Transport Properties of Carbon-Nanotube Networks: The Effect of Nitrate Doping on Intratube and Intertube Conductances

T. Ketolainen, V. Havu, E. Jónsson, M. J. Puska

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

The conductivity of carbon-nanotube (CNT) networks can be improved markedly by doping with nitric acid. In the present work, CNTs and junctions of CNTs functionalized with NO3 molecules are investigated to understand the microscopic mechanism of nitric acid doping. According to our density-functional-theory band-structure calculations, there is charge transfer from the CNT to adsorbed molecules indicating p-type doping. The average doping efficiency of the NO3 molecules is higher if the NO3 molecules form complexes with water molecules. In addition to electron transport along individual CNTs, we also study electron transport between different types (metallic, semiconducting) of CNTs. Reflecting the differences in the electronic structures of semiconducting and metallic CNTs, we find that in addition to turning semiconducting CNTs metallic, doping further increases electron transport most efficiently along semiconducting CNTs as well as through the junctions between them.

Original languageEnglish
Article number034010
Pages (from-to)1-13
JournalPhysical Review Applied
Volume9
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Mar 2018
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

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