Different carbon nanostructured materials, such as nanotubes, nanofibers, nanosprings and nanooctopus, were grown by changing the metal catalyst and experimental parameters of the thermal chemical vapor deposition process. These experiments were performed using a tubular furnace and methane or acetylene as carbon feedstock gases. Thin films of Ni or Cu were deposited onto a SiO2/Si substrate and employed as catalysts. The effect of the growth temperature, metal catalyst and carbon gas precursor (methane or acetylene) on the final carbon nanoestructured material was studied by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. Growth of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was observed using both metal films and carbon precursor gases, whereas partially oxidized Ni films promoted formation of nanosprings. Experiments with reduced supply of methane resulted in octopus-like carbon nanostructures when a Cu film was used as a catalyst.
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