Thin and Flexible PANI/PMMA/CNF Forest Films Produced via a Two-Step Floating Catalyst Chemical Vapor Deposition

In this paper, we explore a straightforward two-step method to produce high-purity, vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanofibres (MWCNFs) via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Two distinct solutions are utilized for this CVD method: a catalytic solution consisting of ferrocene and acetonitrile (ACN) and a carbon source solution with camphor and ACN. The vapors of the catalytic solution inserted in the reaction chamber through external boiling result in a floating catalyst CVD approach that produces vertically aligned CNFs in a consistent manner. CNFs are grown in a conventional CVD horizontal reactor at 850 degrees C under atmospheric pressure and characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Coating the MWCNTs with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) while still on the Si substrate retains the structure and results in a flexible, conductive thin film suitable for flexible electrodes. The film is 62 mu m thick and stable in aqueous solutions, capable of withstanding further processing, such as electropolymerization with polyaniline, to be used for energy storage applications.