Carbon nanotube foam and method of making and using thereof
A method of making a carbon nanotube structure includes providing an array of substantially aligned carbon nanotubes, wetting the array with a liquid, and evaporating the liquid to form the carbon nanotube structure having a pattern in the carbon nanotube array. The structure is preferably a carbon nanotube foam.
1. A composition of matter comprising a carbon nanotube foam, wherein the foam comprises a cellular film containing an open cellular structure and the film is located on a substrate which promotes growth of carbon nanotubes in a direction normal to the substrate surface, wherein:
the cellular structure of the cellular film comprises rims and depressions;
the rims comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a first direction; and
the depressions comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the rims comprise elastic elongated rims comprising compacted carbon nanotubes, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the rim elongation direction; and
the depressions are located between the rims, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the rim elongation direction.
3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the carbon nanotubes in the rims are substantially aligned in a substantially vertical direction and the carbon nanotubes in the depressions are substantially aligned in a substantially horizontal direction when the cellular film is arranged in a horizontal direction.
4. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise multiwalled carbon nanotubes.
5. The composition of claim 2 , wherein:
the open cellular structure comprises a substantially polygonal network of rims enclosing discrete depressions; and
a height of the rims is less than, but determined by a height of the carbon nanotubes.
6. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the depressions comprise elongated depressions.
7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the depressions are elongated in a direction of elongation of the rims.
8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the cellular film comprises a film having a predetermined width such that the elongation direction of the depressions is substantially parallel to the film width.
9. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the cellular film comprises a film having a predetermined width such that the elongation direction of the depressions is substantially perpendicular to the film width.
10. The composition of claim 2 , wherein:
a majority of the rims have an average length of 50 to 2000 microns and an average width of less than 5 microns; and
a majority of the depressions have an average length of 50 to 2000 microns and an average width of 30 to 300 microns.
11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rims and depressions form a predetermined, controlled, two dimensional pattern.
12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes in the foam are separated from adjacent carbon nanotubes by less than 10 nm.
13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the cellular structure comprises a plurality of different predetermined cellular patterns.
14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the foam comprises an elastically deformable and mechanically stable substantially two dimensional foam.
15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a composite material comprising the carbon nanotube foam and a non-carbon nanotube material.
16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the non-carbon nanotube material is selected from polymer, ceramic and metal materials.
17. A composition of matter comprising a carbon nanotube foam, wherein the carbon nanotube foam comprises a cellular film containing an open cellular structure and the carbon nanotubes in the foam are separated from adjacent carbon nanotubes by less than 10 nm, wherein:
the cellular structure of the cellular film comprises rims and depressions;
the rims comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a first direction; and
the depressions comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the composition comprises a monolithic free standing carbon nanotube foam.
19. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the carbon nanotube foam does not require an adhesive substance nor a supporting substrate to maintain the open cellular structure shape.
20. structure of claim 19 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise MWNTs.
21. The structure of claim 20 , wherein the structure comprises a cellular foam.
22. The structure of claim 21 , wherein the structure has a shape of a sheet, a free standing membrane or a film.
23. The structure of claim 22 , wherein the structure is located on support or incorporated into a device.
24. A composition of matter comprising a carbon nanotube foam, wherein the carbon nanotube foam comprises a cellular film containing an open cellular structure and the cellular structure of the cellular film comprises:
elastic elongated rims comprising compacted carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a first direction which is substantially perpendicular to the rim elongation direction; and
depressions located between the rims, wherein the depressions comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the rim elongation direction and substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
25. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the carbon nanotubes in the rims are substantially aligned in a substantially vertical direction and the carbon nanotubes in the depressions are substantially aligned in a substantially horizontal direction when the cellular film is arranged in a horizontal direction.
26. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise multiwalled carbon nanotubes.
27. The composition of claim 24 , wherein:
the open cellular structure comprises a substantially polygonal network of rims enclosing discrete depressions; and
a height of the rims is less than, but determined by a height of the carbon nanotubes.
28. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the depressions comprise elongated depressions.
29. The composition of claim 28 , wherein the depressions are elongated in a direction of elongation of the rims.
30. The composition of claim 29 , wherein the cellular film comprises a film having a predetermined width such that the elongation direction of the depressions is substantially parallel to the film width.
31. The composition of claim 29 , wherein the cellular film comprises a film having a predetermined width such that the elongation direction of the depressions is substantially perpendicular to the film width.
32. The composition of claim 24 , wherein:
a majority of the rims have an average length of 50 to 2000 microns and an average width of less than 5 microns; and
a majority of the depressions have an average length of 50 to 2000 microns and an average width of 30 to 300 microns.
33. A composition of matter comprising a carbon nanotube foam, wherein the carbon nanotube foam comprises a cellular film containing an open cellular structure and the cellular structure of the cellular film comprise rims and depressions which form a predetermined, controlled, two dimensional pattern, wherein:
the rims comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a first direction; and
the depressions comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
34. A composition of matter comprising a carbon nanotube foam, wherein the carbon nanotube foam comprises a cellular film containing an open cellular structure and the cellular structure comprises a plurality of different predetermined cellular patterns, wherein:
the cellular structure of the cellular film comprises rims and depressions;
the rims comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a first direction; and
the depressions comprise carbon nanotubes substantially aligned in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
35. A flexible membrane comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
36. A filter having pores of less than 10 nanometers comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
37. An article of manufacture comprising a shock absorbing material comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
38. An article of manufacture comprising an acoustic damping material comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
39. A composite material comprising a matrix material and a reinforcing material comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
40. A fabric comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
41. An electrochemical storage device electrode comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
42. A cell growth matrix comprising the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
43. A method of growing cells comprising growing cells in the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
44. A method of filtering a medium comprising passing the medium through the carbon nanotube foam of claim 1 .
45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the medium comprises a biological medium.
46. A therapeutic agent delivery system comprising the nanotube foam of claim 1 as a matrix and a therapeutic agent located in the matrix.