Preparation, morphology and microstructure of segmented graphite nanofibers

Vapor-grown of segmented graphite nanofibers were prepared by pyrolysis of acetylene at 600-800 degreesC using a foam Ni catalyst. Through transmission electron microscopy observation. it was found that this kind of nanotiber looks like a line of lens-like segments with nearly equal separation, which consist of well-ordered graphite platelets intermittently stacked perpendicularly to the filament axis. It was suggested that the catalyst particles adopting a thin slice shape and the flow rate of acetylene are critical for forming segmented graphite nanofibers. The formation mechanism of segmented graphite nanofibers has also been discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.