Multijunction carbon nanotube network

Abstract

Branching structure in carbon nanotubes (CNT) are of great importance in developing CNT-based mechanical or electrical applications. For this purpose, CNTs exhibiting two-dimensional and three-dimensional junctions are being sought. Among them, only two-dimensional branching structures of Y-junction and T-junction CNT have been synthesized. In this letter, we have grown CNT branching webs having two-dimensional H-junction and multiple Y-junctions, and three-dimensional multiple junctions using a thermal chemical vapor deposition method without the use of a template. The result not only shows the possibility of creating three-dimensional complex CNT structures but also provides the nanotechnology community with new base materials for the development of nanoscale mechanical or electrical devices. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.