A Fundamental Limitation of Small Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Synthesis—A Scaling Rule of the Carbon Nanotube Yield with Catalyst Volume

doi:10.3390/ma6072633

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Materials 2013, 6(7), 2633-2641; doi:10.3390/ma6072633

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A Fundamental Limitation of Small Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Synthesis—A Scaling Rule of the Carbon Nanotube Yield with Catalyst Volume

Shunsuke Sakurai^1,2, Masayasu Inaguma², Don N. Futaba^1,2, Motoo Yumura^1,2 and Kenji Hata^1,2,3,*

¹ Technology Research Association for Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes (TASC), Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan ² National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan ³ Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Honcho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 29 May 2013; in revised form: 18 June 2013 / Accepted: 24 June 2013 / Published: 2 July 2013

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Abstract: Understanding the fundamental mechanisms and limiting processes of the growth of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) would serve as a guide to achieve further control on structural parameters of SWCNT. In this paper, we have studied the growth kinetics of a series of SWCNT forests continuously spanning a wide range of diameters (1.9–3.2 nm), and have revealed an additional fundamental growth limiting process where the mass of the individual SWCNT is determined by the individual catalyst volume. Calculation of the conversion rate of carbon atoms into CNTs per Fe atom is 2 × 10² atoms per second. This rate limiting process provides an important understanding where the larger diameter SWCNT would grow faster, and thus be more suited for mass production.

Keywords: carbon nanotube; single-walled carbon nanotube; catalyst array; synthsis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sakurai, S.; Inaguma, M.; Futaba, D.N.; Yumura, M.; Hata, K. A Fundamental Limitation of Small Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Synthesis—A Scaling Rule of the Carbon Nanotube Yield with Catalyst Volume. Materials 2013, 6, 2633-2641.

AMA Style

Sakurai S, Inaguma M, Futaba DN, Yumura M, Hata K. A Fundamental Limitation of Small Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Synthesis—A Scaling Rule of the Carbon Nanotube Yield with Catalyst Volume. Materials. 2013; 6(7):2633-2641.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sakurai, Shunsuke; Inaguma, Masayasu; Futaba, Don N.; Yumura, Motoo; Hata, Kenji. 2013. "A Fundamental Limitation of Small Diameter Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Synthesis—A Scaling Rule of the Carbon Nanotube Yield with Catalyst Volume." Materials 6, no. 7: 2633-2641.

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