Growth mechanisms of carbon nanotubes

This review considers the present state of understanding of the growth of c arbon nanotubes based on TEM observations and numerical simulations. In the highlights of these experimental and theoretical approaches, various mecha nisms, already proposed in the literature, for single and multi-shell nanot ubes nucleation and growth are reviewed. A good understanding of nanotube g rowth at the atomic level is probably one of the main issues either to deve lop a nanotube mass production process or to control growth in order to obt ain well-designed nanotube structures.