Effect of Template on the Structure of Carbon Nanotubes Grown by Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Method

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesized on an anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) template with acetylene by using catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD). It was found that the structure of CNTs can be mostly depends on the quality of the catalyst deposition in the pores of AAO template. Straight CNTs were observed when Ni catalyst deposited only in the bottom of holes as nanoparticles, but when Ni catalyst fulfilled the holes of AAO template as nanowires (NWs), coiled CNTs observed. The characterization of as-prepared materials was examined by SEM and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, it is realized that the nanostructure of the AAO template strongly affected the properties of as-grown CNTs. In the other word, based on the obtained results the diameter and pitch of coiled CNTs tightly depend on the size of metallic catalyst and in the results it depend on the pore diameter of AAO template.