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Low temperature growth of SWNTs on a nickel catalyst by thermal chemical vapor deposition

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Abstract

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been grown on a silica-supported monometallic nickel (Ni) catalyst at temperatures ranging from as low as 450 °C to 800 °C. Different spectroscopic techniques, such as Raman, photoluminescence emission (PLE), and ultra violet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) absorption spectroscopy were used to evaluate the diameter and quality of the SWNTs grown over the Ni catalyst at different temperatures. The analysis revealed that high quality SWNTs with a very narrow diameter distribution were obtained at a growth temperature of 500 °C. In the PLE and absorption spectra, differences were observed between the SWNTs grown on Ni and those grown on cobalt (Co). This result expands the potential of growing a specific (n, m) tube species with relatively high abundance by tuning the catalyst composition. Furthermore, the prerequisites for the low temperature growth of SWNTs over a monometallic transition metal catalyst have been elucidated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology, School of Science and Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, FI-00076, Aalto, Finland

    Maoshuai He, Emma Rikkinen, Marita Niemelä & Outi Krause

  2. A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute RAS, 38 Vavilov Street, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    Alexander I. Chernov & Elena D. Obraztsova

  3. Department of Applied Physics, School of Science and Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11100, FI-00076, Aalto, Finland

    Jani Sainio

  4. Nanomaterials Group, Department of Applied Physics and Center for New Materials, School of Science and Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15100, FI-00076, Aalto, Finland

    Hua Jiang, Zhen Zhu, Antti Kaskela, Albert G. Nasibulin & Esko I. Kauppinen

  5. VTT Biotechnology, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044, Espoo, Finland

    Esko I. Kauppinen

Authors
  1. Maoshuai He
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  2. Alexander I. Chernov
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  3. Elena D. Obraztsova
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  4. Jani Sainio
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  5. Emma Rikkinen
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  6. Hua Jiang
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  7. Zhen Zhu
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  8. Antti Kaskela
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  9. Albert G. Nasibulin
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  10. Esko I. Kauppinen
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  11. Marita Niemelä
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  12. Outi Krause
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Correspondence to Maoshuai He or Esko I. Kauppinen.

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He, M., Chernov, A.I., Obraztsova, E.D. et al. Low temperature growth of SWNTs on a nickel catalyst by thermal chemical vapor deposition. Nano Res. 4, 334–342 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-010-0088-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-010-0088-3

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