Alpha 300r

Raman spectrum was collected using an alpha300 RS from WITec with activated sample sealed in a glove box under N₂ atmosphere. The excitation wavelength was 532 nm, integration time was 120 s with 4 times of accumulations, the grating is G3 1200 g mm⁻¹ (BLZ = 500 nm). Two equivalent batches of as-synthesised 1·[CuCl] were transferred to two different Raman sample cells (see Fig. S9†) within a globe box. The former (Cell#1) was left undisturbed, while the latter (Cell#2) was activated under temperature and vacuum for 8 hours to ensure a complete conformational change. The Raman spectra of both cells were then collected before running an in situ N₂ adsorption isotherm at 77 K on the activated sample. A final Raman spectrum, post-isotherm, was then collected to spot any potential conformational change during the desorption step.

We conducted Raman spectroscopy measurements to characterize the distribution of MWCNTs in the fabricated conducting nanopillar-arrays made of MWCNT/polymer composites. A confocal Raman microscope (Alpha 300RS, WITec, Germany) was used to collect Raman signals from 25 × 25 pixels over a 25 × 25 μm² area using a 20× objective lens under 785 nm laser excitation (2 mW) with an integration time of 1 s per pixel. The backscattered photons were detected by a spectrometer (UHTS300, WItec, Germany) equipped with a CCD camera (DU401A, Oxford Instruments, UK). After the signal acquisition, cosmic ray removal and baseline correction were performed using the software Project v4.1 (WITec, Germany).

Raman spectra were recorded in air using
a WITec confocal Raman microscope (Alpha 300RS, Germany) equipped
with a 532 nm laser diode (<30 mW), as reported previously.^{11 (link),22 (link),24 (link)} A charge-coupled device (CCD)
detector was cooled at −60 °C to collect Stokes Raman
signals under a 20× or 100× objective lens at room temperature
(∼24 °C).
To map an image, the stage-moving speed
(controlled by a piezo-driven scanning stage) for each Raman signal
collection at each pixel was varied, from 1 × 1 μm to scan
an area of 88 × 88 μm with 88 × 88 pixels, to 0.33
× 0.33 μm to scan an area of 10 × 10 μm with
30 × 30 pixels, as indicated below. The Raman scanning duration
was changed accordingly. In the former case, it was 7744 s (88 ×
88); in the latter case, it was 900 s (30 × 30), where each pixel
takes 1 s to collect the Raman signal.
For Raman image mapping,
the sample was scanned using a 20×
or 100× objective lens. The different plastics exhibit different
Raman activities and emit different intensities of Raman spectra,
as suggested previously.^{22 (link)} For image mapping,
we select the characteristic peak that should be strong and not overlapped
with the peaks of the other plastic. For example, the Raman signal
at 1059 cm^–1 was picked up to image the PE, along
with other characteristic peaks (1130, 1300, and 1450 cm^–1). The intensities at different peaks were mapped as different colors
of images.