<i>In situ</i> diagnostics for nanomaterial synthesis in carbon arc plasma

Abstract

Developments in the recent application of in situ diagnostics to improve understanding of nanomaterial synthesis processes in carbon arc plasma are summarized. These diagnostics measure the plasma conditions in the arc core and the precursor species to nanoparticle formation and the presence and sizes of nanoparticles in the synthesis region surrounding the hot arc core. They provide information that could not be obtained by the ex situ diagnostics used in previous studies of nanomaterial synthesis in arc plasma. The following diagnostics are covered: optical emission spectroscopy, planar laser induced fluorescence, laser induced incandescence, fast frame imaging, coherent Rayleigh Brillouin scattering, and the nanomaterial extractor probe. The diagnostic measurements are consistent with a recently developed two-dimensional fluid model of nanomaterial synthesis in the arc plasma.