超长碳纳米管表面电化学诱导活性点以提高电容性

Electrochemical cyclic voltammetric (CV) scan was applied to induce the partial oxidation and defect formation along carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The electrochemically induced functional groups and physical defects were demonstrated to show positive effects on the nanotube capacitance, as exemplified by super-long CNT arrays as model for easy fabrication of the CNT electrodes. Specifically, the initial hydrophobic nanotube surface became hydrophilic and a ten-time enhancement in capacitance was observed with respect to the pristine CNT sample. Thus, the electrochemical CV pretreatment could be used as an effective approach to activate the CNT surface for an enhanced electrochemical performance in capacitors, and many other advanced devices beyond capacitors, such as electrochemical sensors and batteries.