Stable n-type conduction in WOx-CNT hybrid films

Nanostructured hybrid films composed of tungsten oxide (WOx) nanoclusters and vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized through a combination of chemical vapor deposition and supersonic cluster beam deposition. The use of a cluster source enabled the direct fabrication of oxygen-deficient, nonstoichiometric WOx nanoclusters, which decorated the CNT sidewalls with a characteristic “beaded necklace-style” morphology. Electrical resistance measurements under ethanol exposure in ultrahigh vacuum revealed a distinct behavior consistent with n-type conduction, unlike the intrinsic p-type behavior of pristine CNTs and of WOx films. This inversion is linked to the appearance of an interfacial charge transfer from the oxygen vacancies in the defective WOx nanoclusters to the CNTs, which injects electrons into the CNT network and shifting its Fermi level, thereby inverting the conduction type. Notably, this n-type conduction response remained stable even after prolonged air exposure. These results propose a viable approach to achieving air-stable n-type doping in CNT-based nanostructures.