Analysing CNT-Actuation by Raman-Spectroscopy

Abstract

Since carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are discovered, worldwide scientific research reveals their excel-lent properties. The presented electro-mechanical characteristics often refer to almost defect-free, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with nano-scale dimensions or theoretical calculations of their behaviour. However, scientists try to incorporate CNTs into applications in order to provide their properties and improve the application’s performance. Typically the analysed results are com-parably lower because of various reasons. The presented poster shows the experimental approach of using single walled CNTs as actuators. While published research analysed architectures of en-tangled CNTs, like papers or yarns, to measure their bulk-strain, this test-campaign focuses on scattered, single CNTs. This experiment promises to clarify the effect of actuation, whether it is a quantum-mechanically, or rather an electro-static effect or even caused by volume-transfer. The experiments are carried out by analysing the shifts of characteristic intensity-peaks (RBM, D, G+, G- and D’-band) via Raman-spectroscopy.