Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy Observations of Swinging and Rotational Growth of Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

The swing and rotation of growing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been observed in situ for the first time by environmental transmission electron microscopy. We have also observed that a CNT grows discontinuously when the CNT comes in contact with a substrate. This means that the van der Waals force between the CNT and the substrate prevents the growth of CNTs. These in situ observations enable us to understand the suspended growth mechanism of CNTs.