Metal catalyst-free mist flow chemical vapor deposition growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes using C60 colloidal solutions

Abstract

Metal catalyst-free mist flow chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with C60 fullerenes has been investigated by using an aqueous colloidal C60 solution. Under the optimum reaction condition, relatively uniform SWCNTs with a mean diameter of 1.28nm can be synthesized without any treatments of C60 prior to CVD. Cap opening, nucleation and the growth of SWCNTs have been occurring almost simultaneously during the present CVD. C60 can be used as the seeds (i.e., end-caps) of SWCNTs, in which oxygen atoms from water molecules provide etching of C60 into caps. Furthermore, the coalescence of C60 caps into a larger one leads to the growth of SWCNTs with larger diameters.