SINGLE-WALL NANOTUBES PRODUCED BY METAL-CATALYZED DISPROPORTIONATION OF CARBON-MONOXIDE

Isolated single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were grown by disproporti onation of carbon monoxide at 1200 degrees C, catalyzed by molybdenum particles a few nanometers in size. The tube diameters, ranging from 1 to 5 nm, closely correlated with the size of the catalytic particle f ound attached to the tube end. This result represents the first experi mental evidence of SWNT produced by pre-formed catalytic particles. A mechanism for nucleation that is quite distinct from our recently prop osed mechanism of SWNT produced by laser vaporization is advanced for formation of SWNT in the present case.