Low-temperature growth of carbon nanotubes from the catalytic decomposition of carbon tetrachloride.
Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were synthesized via the decomposition of CCl4 in supercritical CO2 at 175 degrees C and 27.6 MPa using an iron-encapsulated dendrimer as a growth catalyst. The average diameter of resultant nanotubes was 20-25 nm, obtained after a 24-h reaction time. Our conditions represent the first application for CX4 precursors, as well as the lowest-reported temperature regime for carbon nanotube growth, allowing the use of other temperature-sensitive catalytic substrates.
Department of Chemistry, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859, USA.
Jason K
JK
Vohs
Jonathan J
JJ
Brege
Jeffery E
JE
Raymond
Allan E
AE
Brown
Geoffrey L
GL
Williams
Bradley D
BD
Fahlman