M. Terrones et al., Efficient route to large arrays of CNx nanofibers by pyrolysis of ferrocene/melamine mixtures, APPL PHYS L, 75(25), 1999, pp. 3932-3934
We report a high-yield route to two-dimensional arrays (< 400x400 mu m(2))
of aligned C49Nx (x less than or equal to 1) nanofibers (< 100 nm o.d.; < 6
0 mu m length), by pyrolyzing mixtures of ferrocene and melamine at 950-105
0 degrees C under an Ar flow. The fibers exhibit unusual interlinked stacke
d-cone morphologies, ascribed to the presence of nitrogen. High-resolution
electron energy-loss spectroscopy of the individual fibers reveals a 2% nit
rogen content with ionization energies mainly at similar to 400.9 eV, corre
sponding to N bonded to three C atoms within a hexagonal framework. The nan
ofibers may be useful for the economic fabrication of field emission source
s and robust composites. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-695
1(99)00351-4].