Comparison of single wall carbon nanotube growth on Ni incorporated MCM-41 by different carbon sources

The chemical vapor deposition growth of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) using CO, methane, and ethanol as the carbon source and Ni incorporated MCM-41 as the catalyst was presented. Diameter distribution of SWNT resulting from these three carbon sources under identical reaction conditions was compared. The Ni-MCM-41 catalyst was studied. The carbon sources had different affinities for Ni atoms in MCM-41 amorphous silica matrix, which leads to distinct nucleation rates of Ni clusters during SWNT synthesis, resulting in Ni clusters with various sizes. Different Ni clusters led to growth of SWNT with different diameter distributions. It is important to selectively match the carbon source and the metallic component in the catalyst to achieve a better control on SWNT structure. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the AIChE Annual Meeting and Fall Showcase (Cincinnati, OH 10/30/2005-11/4/2005).