Nanotube material having conductive deposits to increase conductivity

Abstract

An apparatus having a conductive body defined by a plurality of nanotubes forming a planar structure. The apparatus further includes a plurality of junctions, formed by adjacent nanotubes, and a plurality of conductive deposits positioned at the junctions to electrically join the adjacent nanotubes at the junctions and reduce electrical resistance between the nanotubes, thereby increasing overall conductivity of the body.

1 . A method comprising:
 providing a material defined by a plurality of carbon nanotubes deposited on top of one another;   treating the material with a substance that can infiltrate spaces between individual nanotubes; and   reducing the substance to allow the reduced substance to form conductive connections at junctions between the individual nanotubes, so as to reduce electrical resistance between the individual nanotubes at the junctions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is a nickel chloride solution. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising exposing the material to heated hydrogen gas to reduce the nickel chloride to metallic nickel deposits located at the junctions between the individual nanotubes. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is glassy carbon precursor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the glassy carbon precursor includes catalyzed furfuryl alcohol. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the glassy carbon precursor includes catalyzed phenol formaldehyde. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising allowing water to evaporate from the sub stance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is a transition metal salt solution, the transition metal salt being one of: nickel, gold, palladium, copper, platinum, cobalt, and molybdenum, of any oxidation state or anion, including: halide, nitrate, sulfate, perchlorate, acetate, oxalate, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising exposing the conductor to a reducing agent to reduce the transition metal salt to metallic deposits located at the junctions between the individual nanotubes. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising compositing the material with small amounts of metal to further enhance the electrical conductance of the material. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the small amounts of metal are composited to the material from a metal, metal salt, or metal oxide. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the small amounts of metal are composited to the metal by depositing a solution of metal-solvent, polymer-solvent, or metal-polymer-solvent, in order to enhance the alignment of the carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the solvent is selected from toluene, kerosene, benzene, hexanes, an alcohol, tetrahydrofuran, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, dimethyl formamide, methylene chloride, acetone, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is a conductive organic molecule such as a cross-linking agent or conductive polymer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising exposing the material to a solvent before the step of treating the material with the substance, so as to increase the thickness and pore size of the material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising compressing the material after the step of reducing the substance, so as to reduce the thickness and pore size of the material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising treating the material with a co-solvent before the step of treating the material with the substance so as to enhance transport of the substance into the material. 
     
     
         18 . A method of enhancing electrical conduction in a material comprising:
 forming a planar conductor from a cloud of individual carbon nanotubes;   depositing in the conductor a substance that can infiltrate spaces between individual nanotubes;   reducing the substance, to allow the reduced substance to form conductive connections at junctions between the nanotubes, so as to reduce electrical resistance between the individual nanotubes at the junctions; and   conducting electrical energy along the conductor by allowing the conductive connections to transmit electrical energy across the junctions between individual nanotubes.