Different Shapes of Carbon Nanotubes via Water Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes with different shapes have been prepared using water assisted chemical vapor deposition technique (WA-CVD). Different thicknesses of nickel layers were sputtered on alumina substrate. These were treated under high temperature (700 °C) at hydrogen gas to grow nickel nanoparticles (Ni-NPs). Tube furnace (single type), argon and acetylene gases were used for Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) growth. The FESEM, TEM, HRTEM, Raman spectroscopy, and XRD were used for characterization of the carbon product. The results show that Water Assisted CVD produces CNTs with no trace of amorphous carbon. Nickel catalyst thicknesses (0.5,1,3,3.45,6.8,100 nm) offer different shapes of carbon nanotubes (single walled carbon nanotube, plain MWCNT, helical carbon nanotube, carbon nanofiber).