Effects of the size of nano-copper catalysts and reaction temperature on the morphology of carbon fibers

In this study, carbon fibers with different morphologies, including coiled carbon nanofibers and straight carbon fibers, were obtained by the chemical vapor deposition using a Cu-catalytic pyrolysis of acetylene at 250 °C. The influences of nano-copper catalyst particle size and the reaction temperature on the morphology of carbon fibers were investigated. Under the same reaction condition, coiled carbon nanofibers generally were synthesized using nano-copper catalyst with smaller particles size, and bigger copper particles are apt to produce straight carbon fibers. With decreasing of reaction temperature to 200 °C, straight carbon fibers were obtained, instead of coiled carbon nanofibers at 250 °C. The product was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD).     

Novel strategy for the synthesis of vertically orientated carbon nanofibers

This paper presents a first approach of a simple way to obtain vertically orientated carbon nanotubes. The used catalytic system consisted of quartz or graphite plates, on which some iron solutions (of precursors such as nitrates or phthalocyanines) were deposited by simple impregnation, generating homogeneous films. After drying, the plates were submitted to reduction and reaction procedure, which consisted in acetylene decomposition at 750 °C during 1 h. Samples after reaction were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, which confirmed the formation of homogeneous and vertically orientated structures of carbon nanotubes over the plates.     

Mass production of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by metal dusting process with high yield

Carbon nanotube materials were synthesized over Fe-Ni nanoparticles generated during disintegration of the surface of alloy 304L under metal dusting environment. The metal dusting condition was simulated and optimized through exposing stainless steel samples during long term repetitive thermal cycling in CO/H₂ = 1/1, total gas flow rate 100 cm³/min, at 620 °C for 300 h. After reaction, surface morphology of the samples and also carbonaceous deposition which had grown on sample surfaces were examined by stereoscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results revealed that multi-wall carbon nanotubes could be formed over nanocatalyst generated on the alloy surface by exploiting metal dusting process. By optimization of reaction parameters the yields of carbon nanotube materials obtained were 700-1000%. Also it has been shown herein that the amount of carbon nanotube materials remarkably increases when the reaction time is extended up to 300 h, indicating a possibility of the mass production by this easy method.     

Effect of growth temperature on the CVD grown Fe filled multi-walled carbon nanotubes using a modified photoresist

Fe filled carbon nanotubes were synthesized by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition using a simple mixture of iron(III) acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)₃) with a conventional photoresist and the effect of growth temperature (550-950 °C) on Fe filled nanotubes has been studied. Scanning electron microscopy results show that, as the growth temperature increases from 550 to 950 °C, the average diameter of the nanotubes increases while their number density decreases. High resolution transmission electron microscopy along with energy dispersive X-ray investigation shows that the nanotubes have a multi-walled structure with partial Fe filling for all growth temperatures. The graphitic nature of the nanotubes was observed via X-ray diffraction pattern. Raman analysis demonstrates that the degree of graphitization of the carbon nanotubes depends upon the growth temperature.     

Optimization of the chemical vapor deposition process for fabrication of carbon nanotube/Al composite powders

In order to optimize the chemical vapor deposition process for fabrication of carbon nanotube/Al composite powders, the effect of different reaction conditions (such as reaction temperature, reaction time, and reaction gas ratio) on the morphological and structural development of the powder and dispersion of CNTs in Al powder was investigated using transmission electron microscope. The results showed that low temperatures (500-550 °C) give rise to herringbone-type carbon nanofibers and high temperatures (600-630 °C) lead to multi-walled CNTs. Long reaction times broaden the CNT size distribution and increase the CNT yield. Appropriate nitrogen flow is preferred for CNT growth, but high and low nitrogen flow result in carbon nanospheres and CNTs with coarse surfaces, respectively. Above results show that appropriate parameters are effective in dispersing the nanotubes in the Al powder which simultaneously protects the nanotubes from damage.     

Acetylene decomposition to helical carbon nanofibers over supported copper catalysts

The helical carbon nanofibers (CNFs), synthesized at relatively low temperatures (lower than 250 °C) by using Cu as a catalyst, SiO₂, TiO₂, Al₂O₃, MgO as supports and acetylene as gas source, has been investigated.The products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphologies of obtained products influenced by the types of supports and weight ratios (Cu/support = 1:1, 1:5, and 1:10) were discussed. The average diameter of the helical CNFs was about 80 nm, and these CNFs had the same coil pitch, and coil diameter.     

Co-synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon fibers

A new vertical floating catalytic technique is developed and used to prepare both single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and carbon fibers (CFs). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation shows a clear separation of these two materials. Thin films of SWNTs can be peeled easily from the CF substrate which just acts as a catalyst support for the SWNT growth. The production process is also semicontinuous, resulting in a yield of ∼1.0 g h⁻¹ of SWNTs film with high purity. Structure and vibrational properties of these materials are investigated by electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, respectively.     

Effect of temperature for synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes by catalytic chemical vapor deposition over Mo-Co-MgO catalyst

The influence of temperature on synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by catalytic chemical vapor deposition of methane over Mo-Co-MgO catalyst was studied by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Raman scattering. The Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst was prepared by decomposing the mixture of magnesium nitrate, ammonium molybdate, citric acid, and cobalt nitrate. The results show that Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst is effective to synthesize SWCNTs. By using Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst, generation of SWCNTs even at 940 K was demonstrated. The optimum temperature of synthesizing SWCNTs over Mo-Co-MgO bimetallic catalyst may be about 1123 K. At 1123 K, the diameters of SWCNTs are in the range of 0.75–1.65 nm. The content of SWCNTs is increased with the increase of temperature below 1123 K and the carbon yield rate is also increased with the increase of synthesis temperature. Therefore, the amount of SWCNTs increases with the increase of temperature below 1123 K. However, above 1123 K, the content of SWCNTs is decreased with the increase of temperature; therefore, it is not effective to increase the amount of SWCNTs through increasing synthesis temperature above 1123 K.     

Synthesis of boron nitride nanotubes with SiC nanowire as template

A novel template method for the preparation of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) using SiC nanowire as template and ammonia borane as precursor is reported. We find out that the SiC nanowires could be effectively etched out by the vapors decomposed from ammonia borane, leading to the formation of BNNTs. The as-prepared products are well characterized by means of complementary analytical techniques. A possible formation mechanism is disclosed. The method developed here paves the way for large scale production of BNNTs.     

New synthesis of Cu2O and Cu nanoparticles on multi-wall carbon nanotubes

Cu₂O and Cu nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a diameter range of 15–90 nm by the impregnate method. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes with a length of 200 μm and a diameter range of 70–110 nm were grown inside of quartz tubing by the spray pyrolysis method using ferrocene/benzene under argon flow. The nanotubes were then treated with nitric acid to clean the surface and generate carboxylic groups. The copper was impregnated on multi-walled carbon nanotubes using a xylene solution of copper(I) phenylacetylide as the precursor. Copper and cuprous oxide nanoparticles were obtained during thermal treatment.     

Microwave-absorbing properties of Co-filled carbon nanotubes

Co-filled carbon nanotubes composites were synthesized via using a simple and efficient wet chemistry solution method. The samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Microwave-absorbing properties were investigated by measuring complex permittivity and complex permeability of the absorber in a frequency range of 2-18 GHz. The reflection loss (R.L.), matching frequency (f_m) and matching thickness (d_m) were calculated using the theory of the absorbing wall. The electromagnetic properties and microwave-absorbing characteristics effects of the modified carbon nanotubes by the encapsulation of metal Co were investigated. A matching thickness is found corresponding to a matching frequency. The maximum reflection loss is about −39.32 dB and the bandwidth corresponding to the reflection loss below −10 dB is 3.47 GHz. With increasing thickness, the maximum reflection loss shifts to lower frequency.     

Growth of single and double walled carbon nanotubes over Co/V/MgO catalysts

High quality single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and double walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) were synthesized on Co/V/MgO catalysts by catalytic decomposition of CH₄ in H₂. Raman spectroscopy data revealed that the diameters of as-prepared SWCNTs are 1.28 and 0.73 nm. The diameter value of DWCNTs from Raman analysis also showed a narrow diameter distribution. Using field emission transmission electron microscopy (TEM), it was found that the diameter of carbon nanotubes can be controlled mainly by adjusting the molar ratio of Co–V versus the MgO support. The structure properties of catalysts were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The formation of C₇V₈ may play an important role in preserving carbon in the catalyst particle and favoring the dissociation balance of CH₄.     

Peptide-induced formation of silica from tetraethylorthosilicate at near-neutral pH

Hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) by lysine and serine has been examined at near-neutral pH. Both the amino acids hydrolyze TEOS and give silica, with the rate of formation of silica increasing with the concentration of the amino acid. The rate of hydrolysis is greatly enhanced in oligomers, especially tetralysine. Among polylysine, polyserine, and polycysteine, polylysine is most effective in hydrolyzing TEOS to produce silica at neutral pH.     

Nano-sized double helices and braids: interesting carbon nanostructures

Two interesting carbon nanostructures, the double helices and the nanobraids, have been synthesized by pyrolysis of acetone at 715 °C, using iron nanoparticles as catalysts. The double helix was formed by two nanofibers, strictly coiled together with a strikingly constant pitch. Such a rope-like structure usually extended hundreds of microns in length, and provided excellent strength, stability and flexibility. The nanobraids appeared to be partially rolled up from carbon layers. Electron microscopy was applied to characterize these carbon forms.     

Dye sensitized solar cell based on platinum decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes as catalytic layer on the counter electrode

In this study we have employed multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), decorated with platinum as catalytic layer for the reduction of tri-iodide ions in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). MWCNTs have been prepared by a simple one step pyrolysis method using ferrocene as the catalyst and xylene as the carbon source. Platinum decorated MWCNTs have been prepared by chemical reduction method. The as prepared MWCNTs and Pt/MWCNTs have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In combination with a dye adsorbed TiO₂ photoanode and an organic liquid electrolyte, Pt/MWCNT composite showed an enhanced short circuit current density of 16.12 mA/cm² leading to a cell efficiency of 6.50% which is comparable to that of Platinum.     

Kinetics of gas phase reduction of nickel chloride in preparation for nickel nanoparticles

We investigated the chemical kinetics of NiCl₂ reduction to apply to the synthesis of nickel nanoparticles in a tubular furnace reactor. The conversion of NiCl₂ increased monotonically with reaction temperature up to 99% at 950 °C, and in turn, the rate constant of the reaction increased from 78 to 286 with an increase in the temperature from 800 to 950 °C. The reaction rate was estimated to be the first order with respect to chloride concentration, and the rate constant obeyed the Arrhenius law, of which the activation energy and pre-exponential factor were 103.79 kJ/mol and 7.34 × 10⁶ min⁻¹, respectively. Taking advantage of the kinetics, we synthesized crystalline nickel nanoparticles with average primary particle size ranging from 31 to 106 nm by systematically controlling the reactor temperature and chloride concentration.     

Cadmium-catalyzed surface growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes with high efficiency

We demonstrate that cadmium (Cd) can catalyze the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with high efficiency. The Cd nanocatalysts, prepared using a diblock copolymer templating method, were uniformly spaced over a large deposition area with an average diameter of 1.9 nm and narrow size distribution. By using the normal-heating and fast-heating method, random and horizontally aligned arrays of SWNTs can be generated. The density of the SWNTs can be altered by the chemical vapor deposition conditions. The morphology and microstructure of the SWNTs characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that the grown nanotubes do not have carbonaceous particles and have good crystallinity. In addition, after careful check with superlong nanotubes 735 out of 790 nanotubes were found to be deposited with Ag (93%) and only 7% SWNTs without Ag deposition. While for superlong SWNT arrays from Fe, 32% long SWNTs without Ag deposition was found, the high percentage of SWNTs with Ag deposition from Cd indicates that the SWNTs have better conductivity and better structural uniformity with less defects.     

Influence of the crystallinity of the iron catalysts on the formation of carbon nanotubes

In this work, carbon nanotubes and minor amount of Fe/C core-shell structure nanoparticles were simultaneously synthesized by catalytic pyrolysis of ferrocene. Through high-resolution TEM observation and ED characterization, the results showed that the well-crystallized iron nanoparticles could catalyze the formation of carbon nanotubes, while the amorphous iron nanoparticles could not catalyze the formation of carbon nanotubes but form the Fe/C core-shell nanoparticles.     

Vapor phase growth and optical properties of single-crystalline SnO2 nanobelts

Mass production of single-crystalline SnO₂ nanobelts was successfully achieved through a thermal evaporation of metallic Sn powders at 900 °C. The as-prepared SnO₂ nanobelts were typically 30-200 nm in width, 10-50 nm in thickness, and about tens of micrometers in length. In addition to the classical Raman models, two new Raman bands at 498 and 698 cm⁻¹ are observed for rutile-phased SnO₂ nanobelts, which can be attributed to the IR-active A_2u TO and A_2u LO modes, respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of SnO₂ nanobelts featured an emission band at 615 nm (with a small shoulder at 585 nm), which might correspond to the existence of oxygen deficiencies in the produced belts. The formation of SnO₂ nanobelts followed a vapor-solid (VS) growth mechanism.     

Growth and photocatalytic properties of one-dimensional ZnO nanostructures prepared by thermal evaporation

Aligned ZnO nanorods and nanotubes were grown on the silicon substrates by thermal evaporation of high pure zinc powders without any other metal catalyst. The morphology evolution of ZnO nanostructures with prolonged growth time suggested that the growth of the ZnO nanorods and nanotubes follows the vapor–liquid–solid mechanism. ZnO nanoneedle and nanoparticle films were also synthesized by the same way, and their photocatalytic performances were tested for the degradation of organic dye methylene blue. The ZnO nanoneedle films exhibited very high photocatalytic activities. The decomposition kinetics of the organic pollutant was discussed. Moreover, it is found that the ZnO nanoneedle films showed very stable photocatalytic activity.