(Mg,Co)O Solid-Solution Precursors for the Large-Scale Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes by Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2002-11, Vol.85 (11), p.2666-2669
• Main Authors: Bacsa, Revathi R., Laurent, Christophe, Peigney, Alain, Vaugien, Thibaud, Flahaut, Emmanuel, Bacsa, Wolfgang S., Rousset, Abel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: chemical vapor deposition; chemical vapor deposition, solid solutions; combustion synthesis; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Engineering Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Materials; Materials science; nanomaterials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Physics; solid solutions
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1151-2916.2002.tb00513.x

Single‐ and double‐walled carbon nanotubes were produced in high yield using the selective reduction of solid solutions of Mg1–xCoxO in a methane and hydrogen atmosphere at 1000°C. The solid solutions were prepared using combustion synthesis with urea as the fuel. The BET surface areas ranged from 10 to 65 m2/g depending on the fuel content. A single crystalline phase was obtained only for fuel‐rich compositions. Increased fuel content increased the surface area by a factor of 6. However, very high fuel contents (>4 times the stoichiometric amount) caused a demixed solid solution. Surface‐area measurements and Raman spectra showed that the quantity of nanotubes formed depended on the surface area and composition of the precursor oxide.