Method for preparing uniform single walled carbon nanotubes
AssigneeHyperion Catalysis International, Inc.
InventorsJun Ma, Howard Tennent
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of preparing single walled carbon nanotubes from a metal catalyst having deposited thereon fullerenes are provided. Fullerenes are deposited onto a metal catalyst precursor or metal catalyst. In the presence of a carbon containing gas, the metal catalyst precursor/fullerene composition is then exposed to conditions suitable for reducing the metal catalyst precursor, for subliming the fullerene and for growing single walled carbon nanotubes. The fullerenes form the end caps for the resulting single walled carbon nanotubes, which are uniform in diameter.
Claims10
A method for producing single walled carbon nanotubes comprising:
- (a) forming a composition comprising a fullerene and a precursor of a metal catalyst for the production of single walled carbon nanotubes,
- (b) reacting a carbon containing gas in the presence of said composition under reaction conditions suitable for reducing said metal catalyst precursor, and
- (c) growing a multiplicity of single walled carbon nanotubes, wherein at least 80% of the single walled carbon nanotubes in said multiplicity have a diameter within ±5% of a single walled carbon nanotube diameter D present in said multiplicity, said diameter D being in the range between 0.6-2.2 nm.
6-8. (canceled)
A method for producing single walled carbon nanotubes comprising:
- (a) reacting a carbon containing gas under reaction conditions with a composition comprising
- a fullerene and
- a precursor of a metal catalyst for the production of single walled carbon nanotubes,
- wherein said reaction conditions are suitable for reducing said metal catalyst precursor;
- and
- (b) growing single walled carbon nanotubes.
A method for producing single walled carbon nanotubes comprising:
- (a) forming a composition comprising a fullerene and a precursor of a metal catalyst for the production of single walled carbon nanotubes,
- (b) reacting a carbon containing gas in the presence of said composition under reaction conditions suitable for reducing said metal catalyst precursor, wherein the temperature of said reaction condition is lower than the sublimation temperature of said fullerene, and
- (c) growing single walled carbon nanotubes having a single raman peak in the RBM region.
A method for producing single walled carbon nanotubes comprising:
- (a) forming a composition comprising a fullerene and a metal catalyst for the production of single walled carbon nanotubes,
- (b) reacting a carbon containing gas in the presence of said composition at a temperature lower than the sublimation temperature of said fullerene, and
- (c) growing a multiplicity of single walled carbon nanotubes, wherein at least 80% of the single walled carbon nanotubes in said multiplicity have a diameter within ±5% of a single walled carbon nanotube diameter D present in said multiplicity, said diameter D being in the range between 0.6-2.2 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.