title: Nucleation of graphene and its conversion to single-walled carbon nanotubes.
abstract: We use an environmental transmission electron microscope to record atomic-scale movies showing how carbon atoms assemble together on a catalyst nanoparticle to form a graphene sheet that progressively lifts-off to convert into a nanotube. Time-resolved observations combined with theoretical calculations confirm that some nanoparticle facets act like a vice-grip for graphene, offering anchoring sites, while other facets allow the graphene to lift-off, which is the essential step to convert into a nanotube.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6203, United States.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picher
authors.forename: Pin Ann
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gomez-Ballesteros
authors.forename: Perla B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Balbuena
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: Carbon nanotubes; atomic scale observation; environmental transmission electron microscopy; graphene; nucleation mechanism