Preparation, mechanical and electrical properties of carbon micro- and nanocoils

We present the Ni-P and Co-P nanoparticles prepared by electroless plating for catalytic synthesis of carbon micro- and nanocoils (CMCs, CNCs) by means of the conventional CVD method. SEM analysis reveals that the carbon coils have unique DNA-like helical morphologies. Moreover, microcoils with flat cross-section can be stretched to 3 times of their original coil length. The measurements of I–V curve and extended coil resistance of a single microcoil are also reported. It is found that the CMCs have the conductivity between 100 and 160 S cm −1 , and the resistance increased about 20% during coil extension. These mechanical and electrical properties have the potential to realize carbon micro- and nanocoil based devices.