Synthesis and characterization of nanostructures-graphene hybrid system.

• Main Author: Lee, Xin Ying.
• Other Authors: Yu Ting
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Chemistry::Organic chemistry::Organic synthesis
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/40823
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Nanotechnology refers to the design, synthesis and applications of nanostructures and nanomaterials functional systems. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced. Nanotechnology attracts immense attention because a structure may start to exhibit new physical properties or strange phenomena when it miniaturize to the nanometer scale. One-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures have attracted immense attention due to the unique mechanical, optical and electrical properties they possess that differ from those of bulk and nanoparticles as well as their promising applications in the fabrication of nanodevices. Possessing an understanding of their properties is essential to the further development of applications. In this work, 2D graphenes were fabricated via the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method and were rolled into 1D nanoscrolls via wet chemical method. α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were used as per received while zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires were fabricated via the thermal evaporation and vapour transport method. Structural characterization was done mainly using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that ZnO nanowires might be too thick to be wrapped in graphene nanoscrolls. In contrary, α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle-graphene nanoscrolls hybrid structure has the potential to be developed. Theoretical predictions of graphene and graphene nanoscrolls (GNS) are not fully tested, not to mention graphene-nanostructure hybrid system. It is a completely new class of materials, which include metals, insulators, semiconductors and probably magnetic materials. For future work, one of the research focuses will be on the synthesis control and purification of GNS and GNS-nanostructure hybrid system. Conduction of experiments to investigate their mechanical, electrical and optical properties are also necessary to be included in future works for applications of various device.