Evaluation of synthesis time in the growth of vertical-aligned MWCNTs by spray pyrolysis

Abstract

Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) were analyzed on crystalline silicon substrates (type P) under optimal temperature conditions, using different synthesis times (2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min) in order to examine the effect on the structural quality and length of the CNTs produced by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, using pure toluene and ferrocene as precursor solutions under argon flow. Structural, optical, and morphological differences of the MWCNTs grown were analyzed. Raman spectroscopy evidenced the MWCNTs' high quality, noted by the ID/IG (from 0.41 to 0.68) and I2D/IG intensity ratios around 0.75. Morphological differences of the MWCNTs grow evaluated by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM); the micrographs examined the thickness of CNTs' layers. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) technique was used to determine the diameters of CNTs, which were found from 15 to 140 nm. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) showed two characteristic peaks around 26° and 44°, which corroborated that the MWCNTs were well-graphitized. The influence of the time in these CNTs demonstrated that the final length of these nanotubes could easily reach micrometers. The alienation was better as time increased, and the graphitization extent is good in most cases compared to other more expensive synthesis methods.