Large-scale and controllable synthesis of metal-free carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes over water-soluble Na 2CO 3

Xiaosi Qi, Qian Ding, Han Zhang, Wei Zhong*, Chaktong Au, Youwei Du

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Previously, various carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been synthesized by different methods. All these methods required the use of catalysts that were based on transition metals or their alloys, and there were scabrous problems related to CNM purification. Using acetylene as reactant and Na 2CO 3 powder as catalyst, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were selectively synthesized in this study at acetylene decomposition temperature of 450 and 500 °C, respectively. Because Na 2CO 3 is water-soluble, it can be removed from the products through simple washing with water and the nanocarbon materials can be harvested undamaged in high purity. The approach is simple, inexpensive, and environment-friendly; it can be adopted for controlled production of high-purity CNFs or CNTs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)135-137
Number of pages3
JournalMaterials Letters
Volume81
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Aug 2012

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Materials Science(all)
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering

User-Defined Keywords

  • Carbon nanomaterials
  • Carbon nanotubes
  • Chemical vapor decomposition

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