Process for producing single wall nanotubes using unsupported metal catalysts and single wall nanotubes produced according to this method
A process for producing hollow, single-walled carbon nanotubes by catalytic decomposition of one or more gaseous carbon compounds by first forming a gas phase mixture carbon feed stock gas comprising one or more gaseous carbon compounds, each having one to six carbon atoms and only H, O, N, S or Cl as hetero atoms, optionally admixed with hydrogen, and a gas phase metal containing compound which is unstable under reaction conditions for said decomposition, and which forms a metal containing catalyst which acts as a decomposition catalyst under reaction conditions; and then conducting said decomposition reaction under decomposition reaction conditions, thereby producing said nanotubes.
1. A method for producing single wall carbon nanotubes comprising the steps of:
(a) loading Mo(CO) 6 particles into a vaporizer section of a reactor, said reactor including the vaporizer section and a reaction section,
(b) heating the reaction section of the reactor to at least 900° C., while maintaining the vaporizer section of said reactor at room temperature,
(c) providing an argon flow into said reactor,
(d) replacing said argon flow with a gas flow comprising 90% CO and 10% H 2 , and
(e) vaporizing said Mo(CO) 6 to form single wall carbon nanotubes.