Multilayer Carbon Nanotube Capacitor

Abstract

Multilayer carbon nanotube capacitors, and methods and printable compositions for manufacturing multilayer carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are disclosed. A first capacitor embodiment includes: a first conductor; a plurality of fixed CNTs in an ionic liquid, each fixed CNT comprising a magnetic catalyst nanoparticle coupled to a carbon nanotube and further coupled to the first conductor; and a first plurality of free CNTs dispersed and moveable in the ionic liquid. Another capacitor embodiment includes: a first conductor; a conductive nanomesh coupled to the first conductor; a first plurality of fixed CNTs in an ionic liquid and further coupled to the conductive nanomesh; and a plurality of free CNTs dispersed and moveable in the ionic liquid. Various methods of printing the CNTs and other structures, and methods of aligning and moving the CNTs using applied electric and magnetic fields, are also disclosed.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A capacitor comprising:
 a first conductor;   a first metal, conductive nanomesh coupled to the first conductor;   a first ionic liquid layer comprising an ionic liquid, wherein the first ionic liquid layer is nonpolymeric;   a first layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes in the ionic liquid and further coupled to the first metal, conductive nanomesh, wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first conductor; and   a second layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a first plurality of free carbon nanotubes which are uncoupled, dispersed and translationally and rotationally moveable in the first ionic liquid layer;   wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes and the first plurality of free carbon nanotubes are open or uncapped at least at one end.   
     
     
         2 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein the first conductor is a conductive substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein the first metal, conductive nanomesh comprises gold or palladium nanorods. 
     
     
         4 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein the first metal, conductive nanomesh comprises metal nanorods having a diameter of less than about 100 nm and a length between about 200 nm and about 1.0 microns. 
     
     
         5 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes further comprise multi-walled carbon nanotubes or single-walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         6 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein each carbon nanotube of the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes and each carbon nanotube of the first plurality of free carbon nanotubes has an interior diameter greater than a Helmholtz diameter of an ion of the ionic liquid. 
     
     
         7 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein each carbon nanotube of the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes and each carbon nanotube of the first plurality of free carbon nanotubes has an interior diameter between about 0.5 nm and 1.5 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid is at least one ionic liquid selected from the group consisting of: butyltrimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate, 1-methyl-1-propylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-2-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, diethylmethylsulfonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a semipermeable membrane, the semipermeable membrane comprising polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).   
     
     
         10 . The capacitor of  claim 1 , wherein the capacitor further comprises:
 a second conductor;   a second metal, conductive nanomesh coupled to the second conductor;   a second ionic liquid layer comprising the ionic liquid, wherein the second ionic liquid layer is nonpolymeric;   a third layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes in an ionic liquid and further coupled to the second metal, conductive nanomesh, wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the second conductor;   a fourth layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a second plurality of free carbon nanotubes dispersed and translationally and rotationally moveable in the second ionic liquid layer; and   a semipermeable membrane between the first and second ionic liquid layers;   wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes and the second plurality of free carbon nanotubes are open or uncapped at least at one end.   
     
     
         11 . A capacitor comprising:
 a first conductor;   a first metal nanomesh coupled to the first conductor, the first metal nanomesh comprising gold or palladium nanorods having a diameter of less than about 100 nm and a length between about 200 nm and about 1.0 microns;   a first ionic liquid layer comprising an ionic liquid, wherein the first ionic liquid layer does not include a polymer or polymeric precursor;   a first layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes in the ionic liquid and further coupled to the metal nanomesh, wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first conductor; and   a second layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a plurality of free carbon nanotubes dispersed and translationally and rotationally moveable in the ionic liquid of the first ionic liquid layer;   wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes and the first plurality of free carbon nanotubes are open or uncapped at least at one end; and wherein the first plurality of free carbon nanotubes are translationally and rotationally moveable in the first ionic liquid layer.   
     
     
         12 . The capacitor of  claim 11 , wherein the capacitor further comprises:
 a second conductor;   a second metal nanomesh coupled to the second conductor, the second metal nanomesh comprising gold or palladium nanorods having a diameter of less than about 100 nm and a length between about 200 nm and about 1.0 microns;   a second ionic liquid layer comprising the ionic liquid, wherein the second ionic liquid layer does not include a polymer or polymeric precursor;   a third layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes in the ionic liquid of the second ionic liquid layer and further coupled to the second metal nanomesh, wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the second conductor;   a fourth layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a second plurality of free carbon nanotubes dispersed and translationally and rotationally moveable in the second ionic liquid layer; and   a semipermeable membrane between the first and second ionic liquid layers;   wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes and the second plurality of free carbon nanotubes are open or uncapped at least at one end.   
     
     
         13 . The capacitor of  claim 11 , wherein the ionic liquid is at least one ionic liquid selected from the group consisting of: butyltrimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate, 1-methyl-1-propylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-2-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, diethylmethylsulfonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A capacitor comprising:
 a first conductor;   a first metal nanomesh coupled to the first conductor;   a first ionic liquid layer comprising an ionic liquid, wherein the first ionic liquid layer does not include a polymer or polymeric precursor;   a first layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes in the ionic liquid of the first ionic liquid layer and further coupled to the first metal nanomesh, wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the first plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first conductor;   a second layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a first plurality of free carbon nanotubes dispersed in the first ionic liquid layer, the first plurality of free carbon nanotubes both translationally and rotationally moveable in the ionic liquid of the first ionic liquid layer;   a second conductor;   a second metal nanomesh coupled to the second conductor;   a second ionic liquid layer comprising the ionic liquid, wherein the second ionic liquid layer does not include a polymer or polymeric precursor;   a third layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes in the ionic liquid of the second ionic liquid layer and further coupled to the second metal nanomesh, wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the second plurality of fixed carbon nanotubes are aligned substantially perpendicular to the plane of the second conductor;   a fourth layer of carbon nanotubes comprising a second plurality of free carbon nanotubes dispersed in the second ionic liquid layer, the second plurality of free carbon nanotubes both translationally and rotationally moveable in the ionic liquid of the second ionic liquid layer; and   a semipermeable membrane between the first and second ionic liquid layers;   wherein substantially all of the carbon nanotubes of the first and second pluralities of fixed carbon nanotubes and the first and second pluralities of free carbon nanotubes are open or uncapped at least at one end.   
     
     
         15 . The capacitor of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second metal nanomeshes comprise gold or palladium nanorods having a diameter of less than about 100 nm and a length between about 200 nm and about 1.0 microns, and wherein each of the first and second conductors comprises a conductive substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The capacitor of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second pluralities of fixed carbon nanotubes comprise single-walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         17 . The capacitor of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second pluralities of free carbon nanotubes comprise multi-walled carbon nanotubes or single-walled carbon nanotubes or both multi-walled carbon nanotubes and single-walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         18 . The capacitor of  claim 14 , wherein each carbon nanotube of the first and second pluralities of fixed carbon nanotubes and each carbon nanotube of the first and second pluralities of free carbon nanotubes has an interior diameter greater than a Helmholtz diameter of an ion of the ionic liquid. 
     
     
         19 . The capacitor of  claim 14 , wherein each carbon nanotube of the first and second pluralities of fixed carbon nanotubes and each carbon nanotube of the first and second pluralities of free carbon nanotubes has an interior diameter between about 0.5 nm and 1.5 nm. 
     
     
         20 . The capacitor of  claim 14 , wherein the ionic liquid is at least one ionic liquid selected from the group consisting of: butyltrimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate, 1-methyl-1-propylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-2-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, diethylmethylsulfonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, and mixtures thereof.