AVS 49th International Symposium
    Nanotubes: Science and Applications Topical Conference Tuesday Sessions
       Session NT-TuP

Paper NT-TuP5
Synthesis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes without Metal Catalysts by Arc Discharge

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 5:30 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: J.C. Bae, Yonsei University, Korea
Authors: J.C. Bae, Yonsei University, Korea
Y.J. Yoon, Yonsei University, Korea
H.K. Baik, Yonsei University, Korea
Correspondent: Click to Email
Since single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were discovered, great effort to control the nucleation and growth of SWNTs by selecting the metal catalysts, working pressure, ambient temperature, and feeding methods of carbons. Models proposed for nucleation and growth of SWNTs usually start from the carbon-metal gas phase or carbon-metal cluster. In other words, metal catalysts were believed to be necessary for the formation of SWNTs. In recent, new the technique for the formation SWNTs was reported. This technique did not require a metal catalyst and use as precursor amorphous carbon nano-sized particles generated by laser-induced chemical vapor deposition. In other words, the proper precursors are necessary for the formation of SWNTs, and metal catalysts are not. In arc discharge method, hemispherical fullerenes, which play a role in nucleation of carbon nanotubes, were easily formed in inert ambient. In addition, in case of CVD method flux control of carbon is key factor to determine which type of carbon nanotubes are formed. It indicates that SWNTs can be synthesized without metal catalysts by flux control of carbon in arc discharge. In this work, three types carbon anode were used to control the carbon flux. One was graphite rod (6mm diameter, 70 mm length), another was graphite rod (6mm diameter, 70 mm length) in which a hole (3 mm diameter, 50 mm deep) is drilled, and third was graphite rod (6mm diameter, 70 mm length) in which a hole (3 mm diameter, 50 mm deep) is drilled and filled with pure graphite powders. SWNTs were collected from round the cathode.