Low Temperature Synthesis of Nano-Carbon Materials Using a Water-Soluble Catalyst Support by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Nano-carbon materials were synthesized by catalytic decomposition of acetylene at low temperature 400 °C and 420 °C using iron supported on sodium chloride as catalyst. The samples were examined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results show that nano onion-like fullerenes encapsulating Fe cores with diameters in the range 20-50 nm were obtained when the reaction temperature was 400 °C and there were no carbon nanotubes in the product. These onion-like fullerenes are composed of concentric graphene layers with an interlayer distance of 0.348 nm between the layers. When the reaction temperature was 420 °C, carbon nanotubes with a structure of rope and low graphitization degree were obtained.