J. Phys. Chem. C, 111 (48), 17804 -17806, 2007. 10.1021/jp0712506 S1932-7447(07)01250-2
Web Release Date: June 26, 2007

Copyright © 2007 American Chemical Society

Amplification of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes from Designed Seeds: Separation of Nucleation and Growth

Douglas Ogrin, Robin E. Anderson, Ramon Colorado, Jr., Benji Maruyama, Mark J. Pender, Valerie C. Moore, Sean T. Pheasant, Laura McJilton, Howard K. Schmidt, Robert H. Hauge, W. Edward Billups, James M. Tour, Richard E. Smalley, and Andrew R. Barron*

Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory, and Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, and Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433

Received: February 13, 2007

In Final Form: May 11, 2007

Abstract:

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) may be grown from designed seeds containing an SWNT and the catalyst required for continued growth. Dodecyl side-walled functionalized SWNTs (DD-SWNTs) are end-functionalized with 4-hydroxypyridine via dicyclohexylcarbodiimide coupling to allow covalent coordination of an inorganic cluster pro-catalyst (FeMoC). DD-SWNT-py-FeMoC on spin-on glass was exposed to H2/CH4 at 800 C, resulting in 3-fold growth in the length of 40% of the seed SWNTs. Only ~1% of the procatalyst alone nucleate SWNTs under the same conditions, suggesting effective separation of the nucleation and growth processes.

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