ABSTRACT
Nanostructuring boron-doped diamond (BDD) films increases their sensitivity and performance when used as electrodes in electrochemical environments. We have developed a method to produce such nanostructured, porous electrodes by depositing BDD thin film onto a densely packed "forest" of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The CNTs had previously been exposed to a suspension of nanodiamond in methanol causing them to clump together into "teepee" or "honeycomb" structures. These nanostructured CNT/BDD composite electrodes have been extensively characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Not only do these electrodes possess the excellent, well-known characteristics associated with BDD (large potential window, chemical inertness, low background levels), but also they have electroactive areas and double-layer capacitance values â¼450 times greater than those for the equivalent flat BDD electrodes.
ABSTRACT
Direct methylation of [60]fullerene via a gas-phase reaction in a CH4/H2 atmosphere was performed using a modified hot filament chemical vapor deposition method. Pressures were varied from 10 to 60 mbar and the substrate was maintained at 690 degrees C. High-resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry analysis showed signals corresponding to C60H18-2n(H,CH3)n. Collision-induced dissociation experiments confirmed a maximum of 18 ligands possible to the [60]fullerene cage.
