Two-dimensional nanocarbon materials called carbon nanowalls—Structure, physical properties and applications

Carbon nanowalls (CNWs) are vertically oriented two-dimensional carbon sheets on substrates, which are typically fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Each CNW originates from the stacking of several graphene sheets. A more detailed examination of the structure shows a domain structure that consists of nanographite domains, several tens of nanometers in size. Such a unique morphology and the structure of CNWs have attracted much attention for fundamental studies and various applications such as electronic and energy devices. In this review, we consider the structural characterization of CNWs by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, we examine one of unique transport properties of CNWs, Anderson weak localization. We also show the possibility of using CNWs for a catalytic support in fuel cells as a potential application. [TANSO 2012 (No. 255), 280–291.]