Comparative studies on the electrical and mechanical behavior of catalytically grown multiwalled carbon nanotubes and scrolled graphene

The electrical and mechanical properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and of scrolled graphene structures, synthesized from iron-phthalocyanine in a catalytic chemical vapor deposition process, were investigated in situ in a transmission electron microscope. These experiments enabled us to get a more detailed quantitative picture of the peculiarities of the two different types of carbon nanostructures. The nanoscrolls showed superior conductance >10G(o), against <= 1G(o) of the nested tubes, and a much enhanced electric sustainability (similar to 10(8) A/cm(2)). While the pronounced nonlinear increase in current in the nested tube structure with increasing applied voltage is directly related to an increasing number of tubes involved, the electric breakdown has correspondingly been characterized by fractional ablation of the successive layers. Scrolls, on the contrary, do not show any fractional electric response. Mechanical bending has been found easier with scrolled graphenes than with nested tubes. This observation confirms the prediction of higher flexibility of the scroll structure in interesting phenomena like intercalation and electroactuation.