Reduced carbon solubility in Fe nano-clusters and implications for the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes
| Autor: | Elena Mora, Aiqin Jiang, Neha Awasthi, Avetik R. Harutyunyan, Stefano Curtarolo, Wahyu Setyawan, Toshio Tokune, Kim Bolton |
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| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: |
Materials science
Selective chemistry of single-walled nanotubes General Physics and Astronomy chemistry.chemical_element FOS: Physical sciences Nanotechnology 02 engineering and technology Carbon nanotube 01 natural sciences law.invention Nanoclusters Condensed Matter::Materials Science law 0103 physical sciences Solubility 010306 general physics Condensed Matter - Materials Science Carbon nanofiber Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology 3. Good health Optical properties of carbon nanotubes chemistry Chemical engineering Carbon nanotube supported catalyst 0210 nano-technology Carbon |
| DOI: | 10.48550/arxiv.0803.3191 |
| Popis: | Various diameters of alumina-supported Fe catalysts are used to grow single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with chemical vapor decomposition. We find that the reduction of the catalyst size requires an increase of the minimum temperature necessary for the growth. We address this phenomenon in terms of solubility of C in Fe nanoclusters and, by using first principles calculations, we devise a simple model to predict the behavior of the phases competing for stability in Fe-C nano-clusters at low temperature. We show that, as a function particles size, there are three scenarios compatible with steady state-, limited- and no-growth of SWCNTs, corresponding to unaffected, reduced and no solubility of C in the particles. The result raises previously unknown concerns about the growth feasibility of small and very-long SWCNTs within the current Fe CVD technology, and suggests new strategies in the search of better catalysts. Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. in press |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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