Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with sharp tips were synthesized by a hydrogen arc discharge method. Three unusual morphologies, i.e., a cone-shaped tip, a suddenly-shrinking tip, and a pencil point-like tip were observed. These novel tip structures are considered to be related to the addition of a small amount of silicon powder in the raw material, which may introduce structural defects in the CNTs. The field emission property of the sharp-tip CNTs was investigated, and a low threshold electric field of 3.75V/m, a high field emission current density of ~1.6 × 105A/cm2, and a good emission stability were demonstrated. The superior field emission performance of the CNTs can be attributed to their good crystallinity and unique tip structures.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 52-56 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Xinxing Tan Cailiao/New Carbon Materials |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Carbon nanotubes
- Field emission
- Sharp tip