Carbon Nanotube Fabrication Based on Animal Red Blood Cells

Abstract

Red blood cells of mammals contain both raw carbonaceous material (proteins) and catalyzer precursor (iron atoms of metal-organic hemoglobin molecules) for Carbon nanotube (CNT) fabrication by the chemical vapor deposition method. To demonstrate the possibility of CNT fabrication by using blood as a single raw material, livestock (sheep) blood droplets on silicon substrates were used as samples for pyrolysis in an argon and argon + butane atmosphere at 300; 400; 500; 7000 C. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, of the product of pyrolysis at 500; 7000 C, magnified up to 20000 times, shows dense bushes consisting of nano-size rods. The length of the rods reached 50 μm; widths were around 400 nm and less. The two carbon bands centered at wavenumbers 1340 and 1580 cm-1 in the Raman spectra of samples recorded using a low power-incident red laser (638 nm), demonstrates increasing graphitization of carbon atoms with rise of pyrolysis temperature. Both the SEM images and the Raman spectra indicate increasing formation of CNT, with an increase of pyrolysis temperature from 400 to 7000 C. No evidence of CNT formation at 3000 C was found.