Synthesis of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes by In-Liquid CVD

Abstract

High-speed synthesis of the carbon nanotubes in liquid is introduced. The conventional method for synthesizing carbon nanotubes is generally known as gas-phase chemical-vapor deposition (CVD). With that method, carbon nanotubes of high purity can be synthesized, but the synthesis rate is low. Even though the synthesized carbon nanotubes are excellent materials, they cannot be used in large quantities. Accordingly, in this study, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are synthesized by “in-liquid” CVD. Since the molecular density of a liquid is much higher than that of a gas and the liquid has a cooling effect, performing CVD in a liquid can provide a high-speed growth rate of CNTs on substrate materials. A silicon substrate on which cobalt micro particles are deposited as the catalyst was used. Electrical-resistance heating was used for growing carbon nanotubes in pure ethanol. The synthesized nanotubes were analyzed by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and Raman spectroscopy. The results of these analyses indicate that SWCNTs were successfully synthesized over a wide area of the substrate surface. By investigating the synthesized carbon nanotubes under varied experimental conditions (such as pressure and substrate surface roughness), it is shown that surface roughness of the substrate and the bubble behavior are related to the synthesis mechanism of the CNTs.