Evolution of directly-spinnable carbon nanotube growth by recycling analysis

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown on substrate-bound catalysts by CVD are influenced by the catalyst, which changes over the course of the process. The evolution of the CNT growth is revealed by breaking the process into recycling increments and using the phenomenon of ‘direct spinnability’ as a target characteristic. Using acetylene alone, it was found that the first four cycles gave 100% regrowth in height and mass yield of CNTs, with both properties falling to around 20% on the 5th cycle. A decrease in nanotube diameter was observed whilst the areal density increased. With the addition of hydrogen a 100% regrowth for the second cycle was observed, followed by a decrease to around 55%, 18% and 11% in both height and yield for subsequent cycles. The diameter increased, whilst the areal density decreased in subsequent cycles. In the absence of hydrogen the CNTs have around seven walls, decreasing to about three by the seventh cycle. With hydrogen, CNTs have five or six walls for all cycles. Raman spectroscopy indicates an increase in disorder in later cycles. Spinnability is high for initial cycles but drops sharply on the fourth cycle, or third cycle with hydrogen, as the nanotube forest tortuosity markedly increases.