Dr Anna Moisala

As a post-doctoral research associate in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, I work on production of pure carbon nanotube fibres (Fig. 1) via a gas-phase chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Our process is based on the formation of nanosized transition metal particles in a heated flow reactor. When a carbon-containing gas is simultaneously fed into the reactor, these metal particles act as catalysts for the cracking of the carbon precursor and as templates for carbon nanotube nucleation and growth. The growing nanotubes assemble into a continuous network and can be collected as a carbon nanotube fibre or a transparent conductive film. Our strongest nanotube fibres equal the existing commercial high-performance fibres. They consist of auto-collapsed double walled carbon nanotubes with unusually large diameters (Fig. 2).

1. Controlled synthesis of metal nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors or metal salts, and by evaporation and condensation of metals. I’m particularly interested in nucleation and size evolution of nanoparticles and colloids at high temperatures.
2. Growth studies on carbon nanotubes and other “nano-carbons”, with an emphasis on the high temperature hydrocarbon chemistry, influence of reactor conditions and additives on the product properties, and nanotube growth kinetics.
3. CVD reactor design and process control, with main aim to improve a) fibre strength by eliminating impurities and b) the yield (mass) of the fibre production.
4. Health and safety aspects of handling and production of nanomaterials. I’ve been particularly involved in gas-phase and surface sampling and characterisation of nanomaterials for exposure studies and in establishing the current personal safety procedures in use within our research facility.
5. Microstructural characterisation of nanomaterials by Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectroscopy.