Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube/Graphene Hybrids by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

As a one-dimensional (1D) allotrope of carbon, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely investigated in the past two decades owing to their unique mechanical strength, large surface-to-volume ratio, and electrical properties. Graphene, a two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb nanostructure composed of single-layer carbon atoms, is also a promising choice for potential applications in energy storage. Interestingly, a fine combination of 1D and 2D building blocks that leads to the formation of a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structure could effectively inherit advantages of individual components and mitigate the aggregation and restacking of CNT and graphene, leading to unexpected properties for their outstanding application. Moreover, compared with other synthetic methods, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method is considered as a sophisticated approach for both laboratory research and industry production of nanocarbon materials or hybrids, and the carbon nanotube/graphene hybrids are expected to be a promising choice for high-performance applications in the future.