Graphite nanofibers and multi-wall carbon nanotubes were mass-analyzed using
scanning atom probes. Various clusters of carbon and hydrogen were detected from
nanotubes. These were mostly H+, H2
+, C+, CH3
+ and C2H5
+. A few cluster ions
were detected in the mass range of 100 to 300. The largest mass peak was C28H4
+
with two satellite mass peaks. The abundance of the satellites agreed well with the
expected abundance of 12C27
13CH4 and 12C26
13C2H4, 28% and 4%, respectively. No
H+ mass peak was found for nanofibers but a significant number of ions such as
C2H5
+, C3H7
+ and C4H9
+ were detected. These ions were detected at the beginning
of the mass analysis. After removal of the surface layer, the detection rate of the
largest cluster, C23H2, increased. The proposed structure of the C28H4 cluster was a
rectangle formed of three rows by three rows of hexagonal cells, and that of C23H2
was of triangularly arranged six hexagonal cells. Four carbon atoms of C28H4 and
two carbon atoms of C23H2 clusters were terminated by hydrogen.
Scanning Atom Probe Study of Carbon Nanotubes and Graphite Nanofibers with
Hydrogen Terminated Defects. O.Nishikawa, M.Taniguchi, M.Ushirozawa: Journal
of Physics - Conference Series, 2008, 100[5], 052084