Probing interfacial processes on carbon nanotubes and graphene surfaces
Author
Kakenov, Nurbek
Advisor
Kocabaş, Coşkun
Date
2012Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
The surface of low-dimensional carbon (carbon nanotubes and graphene) has unique
electronic properties due to the delocalized p-orbitals. Very high carrier mobility with
nanoscale dimension make carbon nanotubes and graphene promising candidates for
high performance electronics. Besides electronic properties, the delocalized orbitals
have a strong tendency to adsorb aromatic molecules via p-electronic interactions. The
strong non-covalent interactions between the graphitic surface and organic molecules
provide a unique template for supramolecular chemistry and sensing applications. A
comprehensive understanding of these forces at atomic and molecular level still
remains a challenge. In this thesis, we have used carbon nanotube networks and
graphene as model systems to understand molecular interactions on carbon surface. We
have developed processes to integrate these model materials with sensitive and surface
specific sensors, such as surface plasmon sensor and quartz crystal microbalance. In the
first part of the thesis, we integrated surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors with
networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes to study interactions between SWNT and
organic molecules. In the second part, we probe interfacial processes on graphene
surface by mass detection. We anticipate that the developed methods could provide a
sensitive means of detecting fundamental interaction on carbon surfaces.
Keywords
binding parametercarbon nanotube
chemical adsorption
CVD
graphene
quartz crystal microbalance
surface plasmon resonance sensor