Synthesis and thermionic emission properties of graphitic carbon nanofibres supported on Si wafers or carbon felt
Date of this Version
7-13-2007This document has been peer-reviewed.
Abstract
Preparation procedures and thermionic emission properties of graphitic carbon nanofibres (GCNFs) supported on Si wafer or commercial carbon felt supports are reported. GCNF/native-oxide Si wafer, GCNF/oxidized Si wafer, GCNF/Ni-coated Si wafer and GCNF/carbon felt nanocomposites are obtained by growing GCNFs from growth catalyst nanoparticles supported on these supports. Narrow herringbone GCNF/SiO2/carbon felt mats are prepared from growth catalyst nanoparticles supported on fumed silica flakes. Due to weak GCNF-to-support binding in GCNF/Si wafer mats, GCNF/carbon felt mats and GCNF/SiO2/carbon felt mats, mechanical loss of the GCNF component is facile. However, carbothermal reduction of GCNF/SiO2/carbon felt nanocomposites affords mechanically robust GCNF/SiC/carbon felt mats. Thermionic electron energy distribution profiles recorded for these new nanofibre compositions indicate classic free-electron emission with estimated work functions (4.25–4.91 eV) slightly lower than those observed for un-doped graphite or carbon nanotubes. Electron energy distributions along the low energy leading region of the profiles display a cascade of emission peaks equally spaced by ca 0.014 eV, tentatively attributed to electron emission from localized GCNF edge sites.