A parametrized mesoscale model for the early stage growth of isolated single or multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been developed in order to investigate the effects of metal catalyst particle size and composition on CNT growth mechanism during synthesis via a substrate-supported, catalytic chemical vapor deposition process. The model is based on a coarse-grained graphene sheet, represented ...

Nanomaterials are the subject of intense research, focused on their synthesis, modification, and biomedical applications. Increased nanomaterial production and their wide range of applications imply a higher risk of human and environmental exposure. Unfortunately, neither environmental effects nor toxicity of nanomaterials to organisms are fully understood. Cost-effective, rapid toxicity assays...

Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD) can be used to grow various kinds of diamond films and carbon nanotubes at various temperatures. Issues concerning plasma modeling and control play an important role in MPCVD systems. One crucial factor in controlling the plasma shape and position is the tunable reflected microwave power of the MPCVD system. However, modeling the tunable reflec...

Parallel alignment of nanotubes can be obtained by dispersion in a self-organizing anisotropic fluid such as a nematic liquid crystal. Exploiting the cooperative reorientation of liquid crystals, the overall direction of the nanotube alignment can be controlled both statically and dynamically by the application of external fields. These can be electric, magnetic, mechanic, or even optic in natu...