Metal catalyst-free mist flow chemical vapor deposition growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes using C60 colloidal solutions

Metal catalyst-free mist flow chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with C-60 fullerenes has been investigated by using an aqueous colloidal C-60 solution. Under the optimum reaction condition, relatively uniform SWCNTs with a mean diameter of 1.28 nm can be synthesized without any treatments of C-60 prior to CVD. Cap opening, nucleation and the growth of SWCNTs have been occurring almost simultaneously during the present CVD. C-60 can be used as the seeds (i.e., end-caps) of SWCNTs, in which oxygen atoms from water molecules provide etching of C-60 into caps. Furthermore, the coalescence of C-60 caps into a larger one leads to the growth of SWCNTs with larger diameters. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.