Preparation and Assembly of Carbon Nanotube/Silica Core-Shell Nanowires to Realize High-Density and Well-Aligned Nanotube Arrays with Uniform and Tunable Pitch

This study introduces a novel method to fabricate high-density, well-aligned arrays of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with tunable pitch, utilizing a core-shell nanowire structure of CNTs and silica. The approach involves a modified Stober process to achieve controlled deposition of silicon dioxide around individual CNTs, forming robust core-shell nanowires. By optimizing the Stober process, the shell size can be precisely controlled down to sub 10nm scale while maintaining the individualized nature of the CNTs. Densely packed and precisely aligned CNT arrays are created using Langmuir-Schaefer process. After assembly, the silica shell, acting as a physical spacer, can be easily removed by HF etching, exposing the CNTs while maintaining their alignment. The developed high-density, well-aligned CNT arrays with tunable pitch show significant promise for applications in nanoelectronics, sensors, and other emerging technologies. This methodology offers a robust and scalable approach for CNT array fabrication, opening avenues for tailoring array properties to meet specific application requirements.