Synthesis and characterization of single-walled nanotubes produced with Ce/Ni as catalysts.

• SWNTs were synthesized in high yield in the presence of Ce/Ni as catalyst. Raman and SEM results show that a fraction of the tubes are chiral and have small diameters (the smallest one is 0.79 nm), indicating that Ce plays an important role in the formation. Acid treatment is effective in eliminating impurities but changes the morphology and the electric resistance of mats with increasing treatment time. The resistance of as-grown and short time acid-treated mats follow a 2D VRH behaviour while mats treated for a long time follow a 3D model. The results indicate that hopping conduction occurs on bundles or on tubes and that there are intrinsic links between tubes in as-grown mats.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Single-walled carbon nanotubes

carbon nanotubes

SWCNT

synthesis

catalyst

arc synthesis

Raman spectroscopy

SEM

acid treatment

purification

electrical resistivity

hopping conduction

2D

two-dimensional

3D

three-dimensional

bundles

Condensed matter physics

Kondenserade materiens fysik

fysik

Physics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)