Growth of high-density single-wall carbon nanotubes with a uniform structure using a CoRu catalyst

Abstract

The inefficient production of structurally uniform single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is an obstacle to their practical use in high-performance electronic devices. We have synthesized SWCNTs with a narrow diameter distribution (1.35 +/- 0.25 nm) using a CoRu catalyst. Monodispersed nanoparticles with a narrow size dis-tribution (2.4 +/- 0.6 nm) and different compositions were prepared and used as catalysts for SWCNT growth. A furnace with an 80 cm-long uniform temperature zone (+/- 10 degrees C) was designed and used to study the effect of catalyst composition on the growth of SWCNTs under the same conditions. By optimizing the composition of the bimetallic CoRu catalyst, SWCNTs with a uniform structure were efficiently synthesized. In addition, the effect of the growth conditions of temperature and carbon feed rate was investigated, and it was found that with an increase in yield, the structural uniformity of SWCNTs usually became worse. Both catalysts with elements in the suitable proportions and appropriate growth conditions are critical to achieving the high-efficiency structure-controlled growth of SWCNTs.