Morphological and structural modifications of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by electron beam irradiation

Effects of electron beam irradiation on a morphology and structure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes sample in a normal imaging regime of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were investigated. Direct SEM observations give evidence that irradiation by electron beam in SEM eliminates morphological unevenness, in the form of round spots of white contrast, on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and makes the tubes thinner. Electron dispersive analysis and Raman spectroscopy are used to explore the origin and nature of these spots. From this analysis we found that e-beam irradiation improves the CNTs graphitization. The synergy of thermal heating and ionization produced by the irradiation are discussed as possible mechanisms of the observed effects.