Clean unzipping by steam etching to synthesize graphene nanoribbons

• Main Authors: Zhuang, Naifeng, Liu, Chunchen, Jia, Lina, Wei, Lin, Cai, Jindi, Guo, Yonglang, Zhang, Yongfan, Hu, Xiaolin, Chen, Jianzhong, Chen, Xiaodong, Tang, Yuxin
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science & Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Materials Science and Engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/99697; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/17554
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

A simple, clean method of steam etching carbon nanotubes is reported for the synthesis of graphene nanoribbons. The chemical mechanism of carbon nanotube unzipping is also discussed. As an anode catalyst, as-prepared graphene nanoribbons combined with Pt exhibit quite a high catalytic activity for ethanol electro-oxidation in fuel cells.