Nanostructure diffraction analysis of a copper/single walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite synthesized by Laser Surface Implanting

A new wet process, denoted as Laser Surface Implanting (LSI), has been developed to synthesize a Copper-Single Wall Carbon NanoTube (Cu-SWCNT) metal nanocomposite by dispersing SWCNTs into molten copper, followed by rapid and non-equilibrium solidification to form the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite such that dispersed SWCNTs could locked in positions without agglomerating into large clusters. However, the nanometer sizes of the SWCNT clusters inside this nanocomposite make it extremely difficult to obtain TEM images with discernable SWCNT clusters in the copper matrix. In this paper, TEM images and their diffraction patterns for annealed pure copper, quenched pure copper (by the same synthesis process without introducing SWCNTs), and Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite are compared. It is concluded that TEM images with discernable SWCNT clusters are rare. Therefore, diffraction patterns are better tools to identify SWCNTs within the copper matrix. The indexed diffraction patterns confirm that the copper fcc lattice is preserved. However, the Cu-SWCNT nanocomposite samples also exhibit ordered diffuse scattering, consisting of at least two polyhedra of diffuse-scattering bounded by the {110}* and {200}* family of reciprocal lattice planes, respectively. In addition several samples exhibit super-lattice Bragg diffraction indicative expanded unit cells. It thus appears that the SWCNTs are incorporated into the Cu matrix with precise arrangements commensurate with specific Cu lattice planes.

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