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Effect of Alumina/Iron Catalysts on the Formation of Carbon Nanotubes
Xiaoxue Zhang1, Juha-Pekka Nikkanen1, Jyri Rintala2, Mika Pettersson2, Tomi Kanerva1, Jarmo Laakso1, Erkki Levänen1, Tapio Mäntylä1
1 Department of Materials Science, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 589, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland
2 Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, P.O Box 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
received April 15, 2010, received in revised form July 07, 2010, accepted July 15, 2010
Vol. 1, No. 1, Pages 51-54 DOI: 10.4416/JCST2010-00013
Abstract
Two different ferrous compounds, iron nitrate and ferrocene, were applied as the iron precursor in sol-gel processing in order to produce two different iron-containing alumina catalysts. Methane gas was decomposed over the two catalysts under the same conditions to produce carbon nanotubes. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were formed on the catalyst with iron nitrate, but not obtained on the catalyst produced with ferrocene. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption/desorption characterization were performed to compare the catalysts and discuss the effect of the catalysts obtained with the different ferrous compounds on the formation of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
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Keywords
carbon nanotubes, alumina, sol-gel method, chemical catalytic vapour deposition
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Copyright
© 2010 Göller Verlag
Acknowledgments
The present study was supported by an EU research project IP NANOKER (FP6-515784-2), the Academy of Finland (decision no. 117937) and the Finnish National Graduate School on New Materials and Processes.
