High-yield catalytic synthesis of thin multiwalled carbon nanotubes

We have synthesized thin multiwalled carbon nanotubes (t-MWNTs) using a catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) method with FeMoMgO catalyst. The number of tube walls were 2∼6 with the corresponding diameters of 3∼6 nm. We obtained high production yield of over 3000 wt % compared to the weight of the supplied catalyst. These t-MWNTs revealed the intermediate structural characteristics between single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs and MWNTs). Critical issues for high yield synthesis of t-MWNTs were further discussed in terms of reduction procedure, growth time, and gas species.