Conformal Coating of Metallic Shells on Carbon Nanotube Turfs

Abstract

Abstract:A synthesis method to form conformal core-shell foams of metals and alloys on a carbon nanotube (CNT) scaffold by electroplating from a single bath electrolyte is demonstrated in this work. A triple cyclic pulse electrodeposition technique was used to deposit Ni and Cu layers on the CNT scaffold, and electron microscopy was then used to identify conditions amenable to conformal and island growth morphologies. Nanoindentation of the resulting metallic foam structure, using a flat punch/compression geometry, demonstrates that adding conformal metallic shells to the CNT turf to create a metal coated low density foam increases both the hardness and elastic modulus; however, once island growth initiates there is no significant subsequent increase in mechanical properties with increases in deposited metals.