Enhanced graphitization of c-CVD grown multi-wall carbon nanotube arrays assisted by removal of encapsulated iron-based phases under thermal treatment in argon

Abstract

The effect of annealing on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) arrays grown via catalytic Chemical Vapour Deposition (c-CVD) was studied. The treatment enabled to decrease number of defects/imperfections in the graphene walls of MWCNTs’, which was reflected in Raman spectroscopy by reduction of the ID/IG ratio by 27%. Moreover, the vertical alignment from the as-synthesized nanotube arrays was found intact after annealing. Not only graphitization of the nanotube walls occurred under annealing, but the amount of metal iron-based catalyst residues (interfering with numerous physicochemical properties, and hence applications of MWCNTs) was reduced from 9.00wt.% (for pristine MWCNTs) to 0.02wt.% as detected by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES). This value, established by a new analytical protocol, is the lowest recorded by now for purified c-CVD MWCNTs and, due to operating under atmospheric pressure, medium temperature regime (as for annealing processes), reasonable time-scale and metal residue non-specificity, it could lay the foundation for commercial purification of c-CVD derived MWCNTs.