Effects of total pressure on carbon nanotube synthesis, independent of feed pressure

Abstract

While the effects of partial pressure of carbon feed on the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are well documented, the effects of total pressure in the growth chamber are not well understood. To shed some light, we investigated the growth of CNTs at different total pressures and a constant partial pressure using catalytic chemical vapour deposition method. It was observed that the growth height and diameter of CNTs decreased as the total pressure increased, probably due to the dilution of carbon feed, the increase in the boundary layer thickness and the decrease in the gas diffusion coefficient. Furthermore, the growth quality of the CNTs was found to be highest at intermediate total pressures. This can provide clues as to where the best temperature concentration is for high-quality CNTs.