The reasons why metals catalyze the nucleation and growth of carbon nanotubes and other carbon nanomorphologies

Milestones in molecular dynamics simulations of single-walled carbon nanotube formation: A brief critical review

“…U n t i l r e c e n t l y, S W N Ts w e r e c o m m o n l y Nano Res (2009) 2: 755 767 synthesized using typical transition metals such as Fe, Co, Ni, and Mo (or binary/ternary compounds thereof) as catalysts to promote the yield of synthesized SWNTs [9 11], but other metals such as Mg, Ca, Ir, W, and so on, have also shown such promotion [12]. For SWNT growth on nm-size particles of Au, Ag, and Ni, Takagi et al demonstrated that the size of the catalyst particles plays a crucial role in determining their catalytic activity [13].…”

Temperature-dependent chemical state of the nickel catalyst for the growth of carbon nanofibers

“…(4) CNFs were grown continuously from metallic Ni/C interfaces. [50,51] In this step, C atoms were firstly adsorbed onto the surface of Ni 3 C 1-x exposed to the atmosphere. Then, they were dissolved into Ni 3 C 1-x and further diffused through the interface between Ni 3 C 1-x and Ni, due to driving force from the huge concentration gradient at the interface.…”

Graphene growth and stability at nickel surfaces

“…Although iron has not been used for large-area graphene growth, it is widely used as a catalyst for carbon nanotube growth. However, the role of the iron carbide appearing during the growth of carbon nanotubes remains controversial [8,9].…”