Copper Nano Particles Decorated CNMs from Plant Fiber as Superconducting Material

Abstract

The negative dielectric constant has been attracting attention of many researchers due to its significant applications viz. superconductor, in this present work, carbon nano materials (CNM) have been synthesized from plant fiber (cotton) for the negative dielectric constant ‘meta-materials’ study. The synthesized CNM was decorated with copper nano particles confirmed with the XRD. Whereas obtained material is a mixture of amorphous and graphitic carbon, confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. SEM and TEM images of the carbon filaments indicates that the CNF have 30 to 50 nm thicknesses with 357.3 nm diameters while decorated copper nano particles are in between 50-70 nm range in size respectively. The obtained materials show very poor microwave absorption, however the negative dielectric constant value observed is -1000000×8.85×1012in the frequency range of 1.54 ×109 Hz to 1.35×1010 Hz. This outstanding material nominates itself as an excellent superconducting material.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

Many researchers have focused their efforts on materials exhibiting positive dielectric constants or permittivity [1-3]. Materials with positive dielectric constants are poor conductors of electricity, functioning as insulators that impede the flow of current. These materials find applications in various electronic devices, with those featuring low dielectric loss utilized for novel capacitance to achieve high-density energy storage. Additionally, high dielectric constant materials are employed in semiconductors to enhance performance and reduce device size [4-5].

In contrast, negative dielectric constant materials, often referred to as ‘meta-materials’, have garnered significant attention due to their exotic properties.

These materials have diverse applications, including the production of high-temperature superconductors, use in optical devices, electrically tunable microwave devices, and the creation of negative refractive index materials [6-17]. Despite the promising potential of negative dielectric constant materials, there is limited literature available on this subject.

The negative dielectric permittivity of polyvinyl difluoride nano-composites induced by carbon nano-fibers (CNF) was studied. It revealed that the negative permittivity increases with the growing amount of CNF, achieving a remarkable -2500 negative dielectric permittivity with 5% CNF at 5 kHz [18].

Similarly, the investigation of negative dielectric permittivity using antimony tin oxide ceramics revealed similarities in dielectric loss to that observed in plasma [19].The negative dielectric constant properties of barium titanate/Nickel meta-composites confirmed that 35.56% Nickel content was necessary to achieve negative permittivity and permeability in BaTiO3/Ni composites [20].

The exploration of the negative permittivity and electromagnetic shielding performance of silver/silicon nitride meta-composites suggested a shift in composite conductivity characteristics from hopping conductivity to metal-like conductivity as the percentage of silver increased [21].

Similar studies on La0.8Co0.2-xEuxTiO3 nano-rods, exhibited a maximum negative dielectric constant of -78.68 and a dielectric loss of -202.84.

Currently, a limited number of researchers are exploring negative dielectric constants using carbon nanomaterials (CNM) derived from renewable sources such as plant fibers. These CNMs boast excellent electrical, mechanical, thermal, optical, chemical, and catalytical properties, combined with their lightweight and high surface area [22-27].

In the current study, CNMs are synthesized using plant fibers, specifically cotton, adding to the growing body of research in the field of negative dielectric constants.

II. EXPERIMENTAL

The utilized materials comprised plant fibers, specifically commercial cotton. All the chemicals used were sourced from SDFCL and employed without undergoing additional purification processes.

A. Synthesis of Carbon Nano Materials (CNM’s)

To prepare CNMs, cotton fibers underwent treatment with KOH followed by loading of copper and pyrolysed at 650°C in the presence of an inert gas using a Horizontal furnace. Mukherjee et. al. has provided a comprehensive explanation of the pyrolysis method for synthesizing CNMs from plant-based precursors [29-31].

B. Characterization

The sample underwent characterization through various techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Raman Spectroscopy. Surface morphology of the CNMs was examined using a Hitachi S-4300 instrument for SEM imaging. The compositional and crystallographic structure of CNMs was studied through TEM imaging, recorded with a JEOL JEM-1011 microscope at an accelerating voltage of 100 kV. The XRD pattern, elucidating the crystallographic structure, was obtained using an X’Pert Philips instrument with a range of 2θ: 2.0000 <-> 80.0000°, employing Cu-Kα radiation (λ=1.54056 Å).Raman spectroscopy was employed to investigate the structure and crystalline phases of the sample, conducted using a Jobin Y'von Labram spectrometer with a laser excitation wavelength of 633 nm and a spectral resolution of <1.5 /cm. Microwave absorption (MA) studies for all prepared samples were performed using an N5249A PNA-X Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) over the frequency range of 9 kHz to 8.5 GHz. Dielectric constant was measured at ambient temperature to study dielectric property using an 85070-dielectric probe software (version E07.01.08) on an Agilent Technology N5221A MY514110A09.90.17 apparatus.

Conclusion

The CNMs were synthesized using a plant-based precursor (cotton) through the pyrolysis or carbonization method. Analysis through SEM and TEM confirmed that the resulting carbon materials exist in a nano form, featuring a diameter of 357.3 nm and tubular structures with thickness ranging from 30 to 50 nm. These carbon particles are adorned with metal nanoparticles, each having a size between 50-70 nm. Both Raman spectrograph and XRD affirmed the presence of crystalline and amorphous CNM, with copper nanoparticles (as per the Standard powder diffraction card of JCPDS, copper file No. 04-0836) uniformly distributed across the carbon surface. Despite exhibiting low microwave absorption performance, the prepared material showcases exceptional negative dielectric permittivity and dielectric constant values, positioning it as an outstanding candidate for superconducting materials.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2024 B. T. Mukherjee, Shyambabu K. Sainik. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.