On the use of Cu catalysts for tailoring carbon nanostructures in alcohol-CVD

The use of the alcohol-chemical vapor deposition (A-CVD) process applying ferromagnetic. catalyst mixes is a powerful technique for the synthesis of high purity single-, double- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Here, we report on a systematic experimental study on the preparation route of carbon nanofibres (CNFs), bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (BMCNTs) with defined pocket size and mean diameter and MWCNTs. Copper serves as the catalyst. The morphology of the samples is controlled by the reaction temperature and the catalyst loading relative to the support content (MgO). A detailed analysis of the samples was achieved by electron transmission microscopy observations and Raman spectroscopy. [GRAPHICS] Schematic illustration showing the carbon nanostructure evolution with increasing reaction temperature. (C) 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim