Berlin 2001 – scientific programme

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MO: Molekülphysik

MO 1: Posters Monday: Clusters, Fullerenes and Nanotubes

MO 1.31: Poster

Monday, April 2, 2001, 12:30–15:00, AT3

Single-wall carbon nanotube diameter distributions calculated from experimental parameters — •Adalbert Ding, Christian Lenski, and Henning Kanzow — Technische Universiät Berlin, Optisches Institut, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany

The growth of bundles of single-wall carbon nanotubes is explained by assuming a transition state, in which precipitated graphene sheets detach from the surface of a liquid catalyst particle forming fullerene like caps. The energetic situation of the transition state is considered as equilibrium of the kinetic energy, the work of adhesion of the graphene sheet towards the catalytic particle and the strain energy associated with the cap formation. The tube diameter distributions only depend on their formation temperature range, the composition of the catalytic metal and carbon containing particles and the type of metal used. The calculated diameter distributions for different metal catalysts agree very well with the experimental data of arc and laser experiments of other groups. The observed increase of the tubes mean diameters with the formation temperature is also correctly reproduced by the simple model.