Magnetic Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Characterization and Anisotropic Electrical Properties

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been the focus of extensive research in recent years due to their exceptional mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties (Treacy et al., 1996; Lourie et al., 1998; Yu et al., 2000; Lukic et al., 2005). As a result of their nanoscale dimensions and high surface area, CNTs could also be considered as efficient templates for the assembly and tethering of nanoparticles on their surface (Grzelczak et al., 2006). The decoration of CNTs with various compounds and various structures could increase their surface functionality and the tunability of their properties, such as their electrical and magnetic characteristics (Korneva et al., 2005; Kuang et al., 2006). Recent reports described the attachment of various inorganic nanoparticles to either the external surface of the CNTs, or to the internal surface of the CNT cavity, through several experimental methods (Han et al., 2004; Qu et al., 2006). In this context, it is important to note that the control of the size of these tethered nanoparticles is of primary importance for the purpose of tailoring the physical and chemical properties of these hierarchical materials. Iron oxide nanoparticles, such as magnetite and maghemite, have been of technological and scientific interest due to their unique electrical and magnetic properties. These nanoparticles can be used in such diverse fields as high-density information storage and electronic devices (Sun et al., 2000; Pu et al., 2005; Yi et al., 2006; Jia et al., 2007; Wan et al., 2007). Maghemite, Fe2O3, is the allotropic form of magnetite, Fe3O4 (Rockenberger et al., 1999; Pileni et al., 2003; Sun et al., 2004). These two iron oxides are crystallographically isomorphous. The main difference is the presence of ferric ions only in -Fe2O3, and both ferrous and ferric ions in Fe3O4. As a result, while the magnetic properties of Fe3O4 are superior, -Fe2O3 is more stable, since the iron cannot be further oxidized under ambient conditions. This renders Fe2O3 nanoparticles easier to work with, especially in the presence of organic solvents and organic ligands, and consequently, they have been widely used for magnetic storage in a variety of fields such as floppy disks and cassette tapes. However, maghemite-CNT nanohybrid materials have not been studied as extensively as magnetite-CNT nanohybrid materials, with the exception of several few examples (Sun et al., 2005; Youn et al., 2009).