Improving the Field Emission from Carbon Nanotubes Through Chemical Functionalisation: A Quantifiable Approach

An enhancement of the electron emission current from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be achieved by increasing the local electric field or reduction of the potential barrier to emission. Chemical modification of the surface of CNTs is often used to achieve good dispersion but the effects on the field emission properties are often overlooked. We demonstrate that significant improvements in the current density of CNT-based arrays can be achieved through chemically induced changes to the nanotube work function. For a given current density the requirements for the local electric field and work function are calculated