This electrode showcases an ordered array of hollow giant carbon nanotubes (gCNTs) within a nanoporous membrane, which could present new possibilities for energy storage and electrochemical studies, the team said. To build the device, the researchers developed a uniform carbon coating technique on anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) formed on an aluminium substrate, with the barrier layer eliminated.
The resulting conformally carbon-coated layer exhibits vertically aligned gCNTs with nanopores ranging from 10 to 200nm in diameter and 2μm to 90μm in length, covering small electrolyte molecules to bio-related large matters such as enzymes and exosomes. Unlike traditional composite electrodes, this self-standing model electrode eliminates inter-particle contact, ensuring minimal contact resistance, which the team said is essential for interpreting the corresponding electrochemical behaviours.
"The potential of this model electrode is immense," said Dr Zheng-Ze Pan, one of the corresponding authors of the study. "By employing the model membrane electrode with its extensive range of nanopore dimensions, we can attain profound insights into the intricate electrochemical processes transpiring within porous carbon electrodes, along with their inherent correlations to the nanopore dimensions."
Moreover, the gCNTs are composed of low-crystalline stacked graphene sheets, offering unparalleled access to the electrical conductivity within low-crystalline carbon walls. Through experimental measurements and the utilisation of an in-house temperature-programmed desorption system, the researchers constructed an atomic-scale structural model of the low-crystalline carbon walls, enabling detailed theoretical simulations.
Dr Alex Aziz, who carried out the simulation part for this research, said: "Our advanced simulations provide a unique lens to estimate electron transitions within amorphous carbons, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms governing their electrical behaviour."
This project was led by Prof. Dr Hirotomo Nishihara, the Principal Investigator of the Device/System Group at Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR). The team’s research is detailed in Advanced Functional Materials.
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