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The extraordinary mechanical properties and unique electrical properties of carbon nanotubes have stimulated extensive research in almost every research institution world-wide and in almost every research field, from mathematics to biology. The material has the remarkable ability to self-assemble from vapour into perfect crystal macromolecules and expectations of future applications are high, particular in the field of electronics. Silicon technology is approaching its maximum theoretical limit and a replacement needs to be found. Carbon nanotubes could form the building blocks of future technological products. Work focusses on the synthesis, characterisation, functionalisation and application of carbon nanotubes in sensing applications.
Research Topics
- Laser Synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes
- Alcoholic chemical catalytic vapour deposition (ACCVD) synthesis of carbon nanotubes
- Purification and Functionalization of carbon nanotubes for sensing applications
The team
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Mr Mathew Moodley
Group leader
Laser synthesis and characterisation of SWCNTs |
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Dr Sreeja Pillai
Postdoctoral Fellow
Purification and functionalisation of carbon nanotubes |
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Dr E Manikandan
Postdoctoral Fellow
Synthesis and characterisation of nanomaterials |
Laboratory Synthesis Facilities
- Quanta Ray SpectraPro 290E, Nd:YAG, 48 watt average power, 1.6 J/pulse at 30 Hz, 2nd , 3rd and 4th harmonics
- 2 large CVD furnaces with MKS gas control
- Andor ME 5000 spectrograph and Andor DH734 ICCD for in situ diagnostics
Recent Publications
- Sreejarani K Pillai, Suprakas Sinha Ray and Mathew Moodley, Purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes (Review), J. Nano Sci. Nanotech. 7 (2007) 3011.
- Sreejarani K Pillai, Willem G Augustyn, Margaretha H Rossouw, and Robert I McCrindle, The Effect of Calcination on Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes Produced by Dc-Arc Discharge , J. Nano Sci. Nanotech. 8 (2008) (in press)
- Sreejarani K Pillai, Suprakas Sinha Ray and Mathew Moodley, Purification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Review), J. Nano Sci. Nanotech. (accepted)
- Sreejarani K Pillai, Letlhogonolo Matlhoko, Chris Arendse, Suprakas Sinha Ray and Mathew Moodley, The use of calcination in exposing the entrapped Fe-particles from multi-walled carbon nanotubes grown by chemical vapour deposition, Applied physics A material science and processing (accepted)
Contact
Mr Mathew Moodley
e-mail: mkmoodley@csir.co.za
Tel: +27 12 841 3759
Fax: +27 12 841 2229
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