Thermodynamic calculations on the catalytic growth of multiwall carbon nanotubes

Christian Klinke, Jean-Marc Bonard, and Klaus Kern

Phys. Rev. B 71, 035403 – Published 4 January 2005

Abstract

We have developed a thermodynamic model of the catalytic growth of multiwall carbon nanotubes from hydrocarbon precursors at elevated temperature. Using this model we have computed the heat distribution and carbon concentration in the catalyst. Calculations delivered an analytical formula for the growth time and growth rate. We find that the growth is mainly driven by a concentration gradient within the catalyst, rather than a temperature gradient.

Received 20 April 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.71.035403

Authors & Affiliations

Christian Klinke^*

Institut de Physique des Nanostructures, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Jean-Marc Bonard^†

Institut de Physique des Nanostructures, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland

Klaus Kern

Institut de Physique des Nanostructures, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
and Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany

^*Electronic address: cklinke@us.ibm.com. Present address: IBM Watson Research Center, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA.
^†Present address: Rolex S.A., 3-7 Rue Francois-Dussaud, 1211 Geneva 24, Switzerland.

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Issue

Vol. 71, Iss. 3 — 15 January 2005

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