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Macromolecular Materials Laboratory

 
New electro-structural effect observed in CNT fibres

"Electric Field-Modulated Non-Ohmic Behavior of Carbon Nanotube Fibers in Polar Liquids" - A new paper by J. Terrones, J. A. Elliott, J. J. Vilatela, and A. H. Windle.

This article, published in ACS Nano, discusses how electric fields modify the internal bundle structure of carbon nanotube yarn-like fibres and how this structural re-arrangement results in a change in electrical conductivity.

ABSTRACT: We report a previously unseen non-Ohmic effect in which the resistivity of carbon nanotube fibers immersed in polar liquids is modulated by the applied electric field. This behavior depends on the surface energy, dielectric constant, and viscosity of the immersion media. Supported by synchrotron SAXS and impedance spectroscopy, we propose a model in which the gap distance, and thus the conductance, of capacitive interbundle junctions is controlled by the applied field.

Link to paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn5030835

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