M. S. Dresselhaus

In this work we present a low cost and scalable technique, via ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on polycrystalline Ni films, to fabricate large area ( approximately cm2) films of single- to few-layer graphene and to transfer the films to nonspecific substrates. These films consist of regions of 1 to approximately 12 graphene layers. Single- or bilayer regions can be up to 20 mum in lateral size. The films are continuous over the entire area and can be patterned lithographically or by prepatterning the underlying Ni film. The transparency, conductivity, and ambipolar transfer characteristics of the films suggest their potential as another materials candidate for electronics and opto-electronic applications.

The dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) in bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) bulk alloys has remained around 1 for more than 50 years. We show that a peak ZT of 1.4 at 100 degrees C can be achieved in a p-type nanocrystalline BiSbTe bulk alloy. These nanocrystalline bulk materials were made by hot pressing nanopowders that were ball-milled from crystalline ingots under inert conditions. Electrical transport measurements, coupled with microstructure studies and modeling, show that the ZT improvement is the result of low thermal conductivity caused by the increased phonon scattering by grain boundaries and defects. More importantly, ZT is about 1.2 at room temperature and 0.8 at 250 degrees C, which makes these materials useful for cooling and power generation. Cooling devices that use these materials have produced high-temperature differences of 86 degrees , 106 degrees , and 119 degrees C with hot-side temperatures set at 50 degrees, 100 degrees, and 150 degrees C, respectively. This discovery sets the stage for use of a new nanocomposite approach in developing high-performance low-cost bulk thermoelectric materials.

This is an introductory textbook for graduate students and researchers from various fields of science who wish to learn about carbon nanotubes. The field is still at an early stage, and progress continues at a rapid rate. This book focuses on the basic principles behind the physical properties and gives the background necessary to understand the recent developments. Some useful computational source codes which generate coordinates for carbon nanotubes are also included in the appendix.