title: Efficient defect healing in catalytic carbon nanotube growth.
abstract: The energetics of topological defects (TDs) in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their kinetic healing during the catalytic growth are explored theoretically. Our study indicates that, with the assistance of a metal catalyst, TDs formed during the addition of C atoms can be efficiently healed at the CNT-catalyst interface. Theoretically, a TD-free CNT wall with 10(8)-10(11) carbon atoms is achievable, and, as a consequence, the growth of perfect CNTs up to 0.1-100 cm long is possible since the linear density of a CNT is ∼100 carbon atoms per nanometer. In addition, the calculation shows that, among catalysts most often used, Fe has the highest efficiency for defect healing.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Infrared Physics, Shanghai Institute for Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yu Tian Road 500, Shanghai 200083, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qinghong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Boris I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Yakobson
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ding