Temperature dependent Raman investigation of multiwall carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We report anomalous observations in our investigations of the temperature dependent Raman spectroscopic measurement of multiwall carbon nanotubes. The Micro-Raman spectra were recorded with the laser source having 514.5 nm wavelength and within the temperature range of 80–440 K. The major Raman bands, the G and D band, are observed at 1584 and 1348 cm−1, respectively, at ambient. The absence of the radial breathing mode confirms the multiwall nature of carbon nanotubes. It has been observed that with an increase in the temperature above 120 K, there is a shift in Raman bands towards the higher wave-number region. However, a drop in the G and D bands is observed from 80 to 120 K which was not observed for the second order band. Thereafter, all Raman modes exhibited mode hardening up to about 320 K followed by mild softening of the phonon modes. Linear temperature coefficients were found to have higher contribution to mode hardening as compared to higher order terms. Total anharmonicity estimation shows a predominant effect of the quasi-harmonic term as compared to the true anharmonic term.