Inter-University Research and Engineering Centre on Materials (CIRIMAT)

Toulouse/France

Scientist in charge: Prof. Emmanuel Flahaut

Contact:

Inter-University Research and Engineering Centre on Materials (CIRIMAT)
Université Paul Sabatier
118 Route de Narbonne
F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 9
France
Office: 1088
Tel. +33(0)5.6155.6970 / Fax -6163
Email: flahaut (AT) chimie.ups-tlse.fr
Homepages: http://eflahaut.nano.free.fr, http://www.cirimat.cnrs.fr

Expertise and experience

CIR has experience in the chemical purification10 and exohedral modification of CNT as well as in their filling with various crystals including semiconducting materials (HgTe, SnSe, PbI2,10 etc.) and chemical reactions in-situ in CNT (using them as ‘nano-test tubes’ to prepare for examples PbS by treating PbI2 with H2S, or Co by in situ reduction of CoI2 by H2). The Nanocomposites and Carbon Nanotubes team at CIR has developed a CCVD (Catalytic CVD) technique for the synthesis of CNT which is based on the catalytic decomposition of a hydrocarbon (CH4, C2H4) on nanometric metal particles. The originality of the method comes from the in-situ formation of the metal nanoparticles by selective reduction of an oxides solid solution, allowing the quasi-simultaneous formation of the nanoparticles and the CNT, at high temperature. Recent improvements involve the development of MgO-based catalyst which is very easy to eliminate after the synthesis of the CNT, leading to high-purity samples of CNT. CIR has developed in particular the gram-scale synthesis of double-walled CNT with a very good purity and selectivity (ca. 80% DWNT)11 using Co/Mo contain¬ing catalysts; this means that the CIR is fully able to provide the research network with samples for the different research projects within the network. CIR is involved in studies of toxicological aspects of CNT in collaboration with one of the CARBIO partners (UOX) (investigation of the inflammatory response due to CNT), or with the INSERM in Bordeaux (investigation of the cytotoxicity of CNT towards human vein endothelial cells). We are thus able to provide well characterised samples of DWNT and other CNT for the biological studies described in the different work packages. CIR collaborates with Prof. M. Green, Dr. J. Sloan, University of Oxford, coopera¬tion agreement between the CNRS and the Royal Society for 2004-2005) and is member of the International-GDR (“Research Group”) on Science and Applications of Nanotubes (http://www.cnrs-imn.fr/GDRE_NanoE/index.html.) for now 8 years.

Key equipment

The group has access to different characterisation facilities such as specific-sur¬face area measurements (BET adsorption with a Micromeritics FlowSorb II 2300), electron-micros¬copes (FEG-SEM (JEOL JSM 6700F), TEM (JEOL JEM 14011 and JEM 2010) and FEG-TEM (JEOL JEM 2100F), X-Rays diffraction (Bruker AXS D4, Seifert XRD 3003 TT) and Raman spec¬tros¬copy (micro-Raman spectrometer (Model XY, Dilor) with back-scattering geometry or a Reni¬shaw Raman microprobe instrument – different wavelengths available), and TGA analysis, which will be made available to all the partners of the network.

 Synthesis
 SEM, discussion
 Chemistry
 Chemistry
 

Key scientific staff