Selective fabrication of carbon nanowires, carbon nanotubes, and graphene by catalytic chemical liquid deposition

Abstract

Large quantities of graphene sheets, carbon nanotubes, and ultra-long carbon nanowires can be selectively fabricated at a high rate in ethanol by catalytic chemical liquid deposition under atmospheric pressure at room temperature. Synthesis of the carbon nanostructures can be achieved through the following procedural changes: (a) by manipulating the H2O content, carbon nanostructures can be tailored from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with various inner diameters to carbon nanowires (CNWs). (b) By adding an organic precursor containing S, graphene can be selectively fabricated. The simplicity and scalability of our method provides a high potential for mass growth, and the inherent cleanliness of the procedure offers a perfect starting point for straightforward, contamination-free synthetic processes without the use of expensive equipment. We also provide clear pictures of the growth process of these materials, where the pressure difference across the graphene surface results in the formation of bubbles that leads to the growth of CNTs, CNWs, or graphene.