title: Tubular graphite cones.
abstract: We report the synthesis of tubular graphite cones using a chemical vapor deposition method. The cones have nanometer-sized tips, micrometer-sized roots, and hollow interiors with a diameter ranging from about 2 to several tens of nanometers. The cones are composed of cylindrical graphite sheets; a continuous shortening of the graphite layers from the interior to the exterior makes them cone-shaped. All of the tubular graphite cones have a faceted morphology. The constituent graphite sheets have identical chiralities of a zigzag type across the entire diameter, imparting structural control to tubular-based carbon structures. The tubular graphite cones have potential for use as tips for scanning probe microscopy, but with greater rigidity and easier mounting than currently used carbon nanotubes.
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films, Bienroder Weg 54 E, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Guangyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Enge
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang