On-chip synthesis of graphene, carbon nanotube and related hybrids for electrochemical energy applications

During the past decades, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and more recently, graphene, have triggered enormous academic activities. The main advantages of these carbon nanostructures include high conductivity, high surface area and corrosion resistance, which make them good candidates as electrodes or electrocatalytic supports for electrochemical (EC) energy and senisng applications. However, process integration of graphene and CNTs into the well-established Si-based technology or other large-scale production route remains a challenging task. In this presentation, we demonstrate a dircet growth approach for production of graphene and CNTs in an on-chip manner towards integrated devices. Since the carrier transfer rate of electrode plays a crucial role in determining the catalysis and sensing performance, special emphases will be placed on the control of electrode interfaces (e.g., catalyst-electrolyte, catalyst-support, and support-collector). Moreover, synthesizing and dispersing catalysts onto carbon supports with nanoscale interlocking structure, keeping metal particles highly catalytic-active and aggregation-free are detrimental for long term stability.