Inferior turbinate lateralization.

Inferior turbinate lateralization via an endonasal approach is a reliable low-risk procedure to correct inferior turbinate hypertrophy resistant to medical treatment. This well-established technique provides nasal comfort while conserving the mucosal membrane and physiology of the inferior turbinate, minimizing the postoperative complications (empty nose syndrome) besetting turbinoplasty involving mucosal or submucosal reduction.

Covalent functionalization of polyhedral graphitic particles synthesized by arc discharge from graphite.

Carbon materials including carbon nanoparticles, such as nanographite, graphene and graphenic materials, and carbon nanotubes are known to be highly hydrophobic. Oxidation treatments are widely used as the best methods to improve their affinity in a liquid medium or a polymer matrix so that they can be dispersed, handled and processed. Here, we have applied eight different oxidation treatments in order to graft oxygen-containing functional groups at the surface of polyhedral graphitic particles synthesized by arc discharge from graphite, also called astralenes. The used functionalization approaches include both standard chemical attack by strong oxidants and radical functionalization of the sp2 network by direct C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond opening. Commonly efficient functionalization methods were unsuccessful to functionalize astralenes while radicals generated from arylhydrazine could lead to functionalization of the outer surface of astralenes. The occurrence of functionalization could be shown by TGA coupled with MS and XPS. The reported method represents the first example of functionalization of astralenes. The efficiency of the applied functionalization methods is discussed considering the chemical reactivity of different carbon nanomaterials including graphene and carbon nanotubes.

Localized CVD growth of oriented and individual carbon nanotubes from nanoscaled dots prepared by lithographic sequences.

Using a combination of top-down lithographic techniques, isolated, individual and oriented multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were grown on nickel or iron nanoscaled dots. In the first step of the process, micron-sized catalytic metallic dots (either iron or nickel) were prepared using UV lithography. MWNTs were then synthesized from these catalysts using a direct current plasma-assistance and hot-filament-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. Samples were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy. It turns out that the splitting up of the micron-sized dot is favored in the iron case and that the surface diffusion of the metal is enhanced using ammonia in the gaseous mixture during the CVD process. The results are discussed giving arguments for the understanding of the MWNT growth mechanism. In a second step, a focused ion beam (FIB) procedure is carried out in order to reduce the initial dot size down to submicronic scale and subsequently to grow one single MWNT per dot. It is found that nickel is most appropriate to control the size of the dot. Dots of size 200 nm +/- 40 nm are then required to grow individual MWNTs.

NEXAFS study of multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalization with sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) chains.

Functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) surface by sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) SPEEK chains using a direct attachment reaction was investigated. A two step method was performed. MWNTs were oxidized by a nitric acid treatment to generate carboxyl groups on their surface. The grafting reaction of sulfonated groups of SPEEK with carboxyl groups present on the surface of oxidized MWNTs readily proceeds by using hexane diamine as an interlinking molecule. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that tubes are wrapped by polymer chains. Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) at the C K-edge, O K-edge, and N K-edge and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to give evidence of covalent functionalization of MWNTs by SPEEK macromolecules.

Spectroscopic study of nitrogen doping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Combined spatially resolved electron-energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and high resolution near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy have been used to investigate the nitrogen doping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (N-MWNT). EELS indicates that most of the tubes are nitrogen-doped. NEXAFS spectroscopy reveals pyridine-like and nitrile N structures. High resolution NEXAFS experiments show that the main nitrogen concentration originates from a high amount of molecular N2 encapsulated into only a small quantity of tubes.

A nucleation and growth model of vertically-oriented carbon nanofibers or nanotubes by plasma-enhanced catalytic chemical vapor deposition.

Carbon nanofibers are grown by direct current and hot filaments-activated catalytic chemical vapor deposition while varying the power of the hot filaments. Observations of these carbon nanofibers vertically oriented on a SiO2 (8 nm thick)/Si(100) substrate covered with Co nanoparticles (10-15 nm particle size) by Scanning Electron and Transmission Electron Microscopies show the presence of a graphitic "nest" either on the surface of the substrate or at the end of the specific nanofiber that does not encapsulate the catalytic particle. Strictly in our conditions, the activation by hot filaments is required to grow nanofibers with a C2H2 - H2 gas mixture, as large amounts of amorphous carbon cover the surface of the substrate without using hot filaments. From these observations as well as data of the literature, it is proposed that the nucleation of carbon nanofibers occurs through a complex process involving several steps: carbon concentration gradient starting from the catalytic carbon decomposition and diffusion from the surface of the catalytic nanoparticles exposed to the activated gas and promoted by energetic ionic species of the gas phase; subsequent graphitic condensation of a "nest" at the interface of the Co particle and substrate. The large concentration of highly reactive hydrogen radicals mainly provided by activation with hot filaments precludes further spreading out of this interfacial carbon nest over the entire surface of the substrate and thus selectively orientates the growth towards the condensation of graphene over facets that are perpendicular to the surface. Carbon nanofibers can then be grown within the well-known Vapor-Liquid-Solid process. Thus the effect of energetic ions and highly reactive neutrals like atomic hydrogen in the preferential etching of carbon on the edge of graphene shells and on the broadening of the carbon nanofiber is underlined.

Monitoring the chemical vapor deposition growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by tapered element oscillating microbalance.

The growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) produced by a catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) process has been monitored using a tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) probe. This technique displays a high sensitivity (<1 microg). Growths in the TEOM microreactor are investigated with catalytic particles (Fe, Ni) dispersed on different supports. First, high surface area FeAl2O3 or Fe (Ni) exchanged on zeolite powders is used. Second, growths are performed on array of nickel dots or FeSi-nc particles dispersed on large holes patterned on Si(100) substrates. An accurate monitoring of the early stages of growth permits a precise evaluation of the growth rates and shows substantial differences between these samples which greatly differ by the surface area. On catalysts dispersed on Si(100) the mass uptake is linear throughout the process. On high surface area catalysts, however, a saturation of the mass uptake is indifferently observed. This saturation is explained either by diffusion limitation by the growing MWCNTs or by internal diffusion through the pores or external diffusion through the grains of the catalyst. The kinetic dependence with partial pressure of the incoming C2H6:H2 gas mixture is then explored on the FeAl2O3 catalyst. A linear dependence of the MWCNT growth an (P(C2H6)/P(H2))(1/2) is found. A simple model is then developed that accounts for this dependence only if an associative and competitive adsorption of ethane is the rate determining step of the overall process. These results thus bring insight to improve and control the CCVD growth kinetics of MWCNTs.

Ni and Ni/Pt filling inside multiwalled carbon nanotubes.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes are grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition with CH4 and H2 as precursor gases. Ni and Ni/Pt electroplated layers are used as catalysts for the synthesis of the tubes. We observe that a very efficient filling of the tubes takes place with Ni. In some cases Ni/Pt filling is also observed inside the tubes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) studies, coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analyses of the tubes, indicate Ni nanorods with a highly symmetrical cylindrical structure. The diameter of the cylindrical nanorods is on the order of 40 nm, and their length is 660 nm. The nano area diffraction pattern of the nanorods reveals the cubic structure of nickel, and electron diffraction spots corresponding to (111), (200), (220) planes are evident. The lattice constant of Ni measured from the diffraction spots was found to be 0.347 +/- 0.0013 nm. This should be compared with 0.352 nm, the value of "a" in bulk Ni. The decrease in the lattice constant may be due to the strain experienced inside the tubes. Raman spectroscopy shows the typical signature of the tangential breathing mode present in the tubes at 1580 cm-1 that shifts to a new position when the C12 is replaced by 13C. The shift, however, is too small and is difficult to explain on the basis of mass difference. HRTEM experiments indicate the presence of Ni3C in the samples dominantly in the interfacial region.

Local lattice distortions in spherical carbon nanoparticles as studied by HRTEM image analysis.

The study of lattice distortions in structures with spherical or cylindrical geometry is of growing interest in the field of carbon nanoparticles (onions, nanotubes, etc.). We report an image analysis procedure entirely performed in reciprocal space which provides a global map of the inter-shell distances in carbon nanoparticles. This procedure is applied to carbon nanoparticles with a size of 100 nm that are generated under CVD conditions and exhibit positive as well as negative curvature of the basal lattice planes. These nanoparticles are subjected to intense electron irradiation under the beam of a high-voltage electron microscope with an acceleration voltage of 1.25 MeV. We observe a compression in their centre and a dilation of the outer shells. The reciprocal-space analysis of the high-resolution electron microscopy images opens the way to investigate the stability and equilibrium structure of carbon nanoparticles and to conclude on the formation mechanism.