Carbon nanoparticles characteristics synthesized in pulsed radiofrequency discharge and their effect on surface hydrophobicity

Carbon nanoparticles were synthesized using a 13.56 MHz radiofrequency (RF) discharge of Ar/CH4 plasma in pulsed mode to control the nanoparticle size. Experimental observations have shown that the size of carbon nanoparticles increases with the frequency of the pulse signal. It was also found that by using a frequency modulated pulsed RF signal it is possible to control the size of carbon nanoparticles in the 40-70 nm range, where the plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition method is the main mechanism for nanoparticle growth. Transmission electron microscopy image analysis showed two types of nanoparticles, some of which are an agglomerate of nanoparticles with an amorphous structure, while the others are nanometre-sized with crystalline structures. Changes in the modulation frequency and synthesis time help to obtain different films with different values of the contact angle.