In situ growth of carbon nanotubes on graphene oxide fibers by thermal chemical vapor deposition

Aqueous graphene oxide (GO) dispersion was used to produce fibers by wet spinning technique. In situ growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the graphene fibers was realized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of the obtained graphene oxide GO fibers with a diameter about 30 μm using acetylene as precursor gas. Carbon nanotubes with diameters of 107 and 407 nm were found in the resulted graphene fiber (GF) with creation of active nucleation sites as reduction oxygen containing groups in the GO sheets during the CVD process. XPS and Raman spectroscopy results combined with SEM image confirmed the conversion of the GO fibers to the CNTs/GF.