Angular Distribution of N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes in Alumina Membrane Channels: A High-Energy X-ray Diffraction Study

An alignment study of multi-wall N-doped carbon nanotubes prepared by a template pyrolytic carbon deposition method inside channels of an alumina membrane has been performed using high-energy X-ray diffraction on the ID15B beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF, Grenoble). The two-dimensional diffraction pattern of the deposited carbon nanotubes, recorded directly, within the alumina membrane, using an image plate detector, exhibits two non-continuous arcs corresponding to the 002 graphitic reflection. The following values of the angle between the axis of the carbon nanotubes lying along the membrane channels and the incident beam were taken for five positions: 0o, 30o, 45o, 60o and 90o. The anisotropic scattering distribution of the two-dimensional patterns indicates an orientational alignment of the nanotubes. The one-dimensional intensity patterns obtained by scanning around the circumference of the (0 0 2) ring have allowed an estimation of the angular distribution of the nanotubes axes. (authors)