Controlled production of tubular carbon and BCN architecture

摘要

Pure carbon filaments and nanotubes are of interest in materials science because of their remarkable electronic and mechanical properties. In this context, efficient self assembly pyrolytic routes to large arrays of aligned carbon nanotubes and CN_x nanofibers are presented. These routes include hydrocarbon decomposition over preformed metal-cluster substrates and pyrolysis of organometallic compounds. During the thermolytic process, the metal particles are responsible for carbon agglomeration and subsequent tube axial growth. The generation of aligned Fe-filled carbon nanothube films is also described in detail. Nanowire arrangements of this novel kind should find applications in the fabrication of high density magnetic reording devices, as well as fine particle magnets in magnetic inks and toners in xerography. Electronic properties and state-of-the-art electron microscopy studies on these nanostructures are presented. In addition, pyrolytic routes to B_xC_yN_z materials (hybrids of h-BN and graphite) are also described. Finally, the synthesis and recent electronic calculations of WS_2 and MoS_2 nanotubes are briefly discussed.