Growth and sintering of fullerene nanotubes

Journal Article · Fri Nov 18 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.266.5188.1218· OSTI ID:70325

Colbert, D T; Zhang, J; McClure, S M; Nikolaev, P; Chen, Z; Hafner, J H ^[1]; Owens, D W; Kotula, P G; Carter, C B; Weaver, J H ^[2]

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1. Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
2. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States); and others

Carbon nanotubes produced in arcs have been found to have the form of multiwalled fullerenes, at least over short lengths. Sintering of the tubes to each other is the predominant source of defects that limit the utility of these otherwise perfect fullerene structures. The use of a water-cooled copper cathode minimized such defects, permitting nanotubes longer than 40 micrometers to be attached to macroscopic electrodes and extracted from the bulk deposit. A detailed mechanism that features the high electric field at (and field-emission from) open nanotube tips exposed to the arc plasma, and consequent positive feedback effects from the neutral gas and plasma, is proposed for tube growth in such arcs. 19 refs., 5 figs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 70325
• Journal Information: Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 5188 Vol. 266; ISSN SCIEAS; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CRYSTAL GROWTH
ELECTRODES
FULLERENES
SINTERING
SYNTHESIS