Nano Letters · 2005 · 162 citations · 12 references
Natural SciencesChemistryMaterials ScienceCatalysisNanomaterialsSurface ChemistryAerosol ScienceCarbon NanomaterialsCarbon NanotubesChemical Vapor DepositionNanostructured SurfacesNanotubesCarbon Nanotube AlignmentCarbon Nanotube Growth MechanismsCarbon Nanotube SynthesisCarbon-based NanomaterialsMulti-walled Carbon NanotubesNanotube Growth MechanismsPrecursor ChemistrySurface Growth
We synthesized aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube multilayers by aerosol-assisted catalytic chemical vapor deposition through sequential injections of aerosols containing both carbon and catalyst precursors. Each sequence was traced by a specific duration or precursor mixture, with the carbon source being possibly enriched in (13)C isotope labels. We discovered that any sequence involved the growth of a new layer on the substrate surface, under any pre-existing one by lifting it up, giving definitive evidence of a base-growth mechanism.
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