Controlling the Tube Diameter of SWCNTs Using High Melting Point Promotors

Abstract

A particular control of the diameter of Single Walled-Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) using Chemical vapor Deposition (CVD) system will enable many promising applications in different fields. Here we demonstrate the growth of SWCNT with good control of diameter (1.5 nm ± 0.7) using a high melting temperature metal (Ru) as a catalyst promotor with the main catalyst Co at 850˚C via CVD. We hypothesis that using high melting temperature metal as a promotor, like Ru can limit the mobility/change in the shape of the formed metal nanoparticles and eventually decrease the effects of Ostwald ripening (OR). FTS-GP is used as a carbon precursor. The results have been verified by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and multi-excitation Raman.