Efficient carbon nanotube growth from pyrolysis of citric acid-based small organic molecules
Xue Liu,
Jingwei Li,
Yuan Luo,
Jianjun Li,
Zhonglin Wei,
Jungang Cao,
Haibao Lu,
Dongxing Zhang
Affiliations
Xue Liu
National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, PR China
Jingwei Li
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, PR China
Yuan Luo
National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, PR China
Jianjun Li
National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, PR China; Corresponding authors.
Zhonglin Wei
College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China
Jungang Cao
College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China
Haibao Lu
National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, PR China; Corresponding authors.
Dongxing Zhang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, PR China
We prepare carbon nanotubes based on the cross-linking reaction between small organic molecules citric acid and amino urea or ethylenediamine. Factors affecting the yield of carbon nanotube are optimized and catalytic effect of hydrated metal nitrate on carbon nanotube growth is investigated. The results demonstrate that carbon nanotube can grow in a wide range of urea content. Even two-dimensional sheet assembled by the prepared carbon nanotubes is observed when ethylenediamine is used. It is believed that such competitive strategy can expand the techniques for efficient, large-scale and low-cost synthesis of carbon nanotubes.
