Carbon Nano-Tube Tip Alignment via Grooved Metallic Electrode

The electrode is segmented into multiple independent needle-like electrodes arranged in an array, with each electrode capable of being independently controlled. This segmentation allows precise control over the electric field distribution, enabling accurate alignment and direction control of carbon nano-tubes during electrophoresis, while avoiding the formation of multiple unaligned tubes that occur with conventional flat electrodes.

The method changes the physical-chemical parameters of the carbon source material by using solubilized carbon materials (such as carbon black, graphite powder, or amorphous carbon) dispersed in organic solvents instead of solid graphite rods used in arc discharge. This parameter change enables carbon nano-tube growth through chemical vapor deposition with significantly reduced formation of amorphous carbon and graphite particles, producing high-purity carbon nano-tubes without the separation difficulties associated with arc discharge methods.

The invention uses organic solvents (such as toluene, benzene, or carbon disulfide) as intermediaries to dissolve carbon materials, creating stable carbon-containing solutions that can be directly applied to catalytic metal substrates. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for separate catalytic metal deposition and drying steps required in conventional chemical vapor deposition, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining high carbon nano-tube growth efficiency through direct immersion or coating methods.