Abstract
Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) is a valuable technique for correlating the electrical properties of a material with its topographic features and for identifying and characterizing conductive pathways in polymer composites. However, aspects such as compatibility between tip material and sample, contact force and area between the tip and the sample, tip degradation and environmental conditions render quantifying the results quite challenging. This study aims at finding the suitable conditions for C-AFM to generate reliable, reproducible, and quantitative current maps that can be used to calculate the resistance in each point of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) network, nonimpregnated as well as impregnated with a polymer. The results obtained emphasize the technique's limitation at the macroscale as the resistance of these highly conductive samples cannot be distinguished from the tip-sample contact resistance. Quantitative C-AFM measurements on thin composite sections of 150-350 nm enable the separation of sample and tip-sample contact resistance, but also indicate that these sections are not representative for the overall SWCNT network. Nevertheless, the technique was successfully used to characterize the local electrical properties of the composite material, such as sample homogeneity and resistance range of individual SWCNT clusters, at the nano- and microscale.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 19701-19708 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 30 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Aug 2016 |
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Keywords
- carbon nanotubes
- conductive nanocomposites
- conductive-atomic force microscopy
- polymer composite
- quantitative
Cite this
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Quantitative conductive atomic force microscopy on single-walled carbon nanotube-based polymer composites. / Bârsan, O.A.; Hoffmann, G.G.; van der Ven, L.G.J.; de With, G.
In: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 8, No. 30, 03.08.2016, p. 19701-19708.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitative conductive atomic force microscopy on single-walled carbon nanotube-based polymer composites
AU - Bârsan, O.A.
AU - Hoffmann, G.G.
AU - van der Ven, L.G.J.
AU - de With, G.
PY - 2016/8/3
Y1 - 2016/8/3
N2 - Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) is a valuable technique for correlating the electrical properties of a material with its topographic features and for identifying and characterizing conductive pathways in polymer composites. However, aspects such as compatibility between tip material and sample, contact force and area between the tip and the sample, tip degradation and environmental conditions render quantifying the results quite challenging. This study aims at finding the suitable conditions for C-AFM to generate reliable, reproducible, and quantitative current maps that can be used to calculate the resistance in each point of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) network, nonimpregnated as well as impregnated with a polymer. The results obtained emphasize the technique's limitation at the macroscale as the resistance of these highly conductive samples cannot be distinguished from the tip-sample contact resistance. Quantitative C-AFM measurements on thin composite sections of 150-350 nm enable the separation of sample and tip-sample contact resistance, but also indicate that these sections are not representative for the overall SWCNT network. Nevertheless, the technique was successfully used to characterize the local electrical properties of the composite material, such as sample homogeneity and resistance range of individual SWCNT clusters, at the nano- and microscale.
AB - Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) is a valuable technique for correlating the electrical properties of a material with its topographic features and for identifying and characterizing conductive pathways in polymer composites. However, aspects such as compatibility between tip material and sample, contact force and area between the tip and the sample, tip degradation and environmental conditions render quantifying the results quite challenging. This study aims at finding the suitable conditions for C-AFM to generate reliable, reproducible, and quantitative current maps that can be used to calculate the resistance in each point of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) network, nonimpregnated as well as impregnated with a polymer. The results obtained emphasize the technique's limitation at the macroscale as the resistance of these highly conductive samples cannot be distinguished from the tip-sample contact resistance. Quantitative C-AFM measurements on thin composite sections of 150-350 nm enable the separation of sample and tip-sample contact resistance, but also indicate that these sections are not representative for the overall SWCNT network. Nevertheless, the technique was successfully used to characterize the local electrical properties of the composite material, such as sample homogeneity and resistance range of individual SWCNT clusters, at the nano- and microscale.
KW - carbon nanotubes
KW - conductive nanocomposites
KW - conductive-atomic force microscopy
KW - polymer composite
KW - quantitative
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84982733846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acsami.6b06201
DO - 10.1021/acsami.6b06201
M3 - Article
C2 - 27404764
AN - SCOPUS:84982733846
VL - 8
SP - 19701
EP - 19708
JO - ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
JF - ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
SN - 1944-8244
IS - 30
ER -