Production of Carbon Nanoparticles Using Pulsed Arc Discharge Triggered by Dielectric Breakdown in Water

Abstract

This paper describes a simple production method for carbon nanoparticles by pulsed arc discharge in water, which is triggered by the electrical breakdown of water between graphite electrodes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observation revealed that the main products obtained by the proposed method were onion-like nanoparticles; while carbon nanotubes were not formed. The carbon nanoonions uniformly dispersed in water forming micron-sized aggregates. The effects of the arc discharge mode (dc or pulse) on the nanoparticle formation mechanism are discussed.