Bulk morphology and diameter distribution of single-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized by catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons

Long and wide ropes/ribbons of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles with rope diameters of 100 μm and lengths to 3 cm were synthesized by the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons. These ropes/ribbons consist of roughly-aligned bundles of aligned SWNTs. The SWNT diameters, as determined from HRTEM images, are 1.69 ±0.34 nm, which, in combination with resonant Raman scattering measurements, indicates that our SWNTs have larger diameters than those synthesized by other techniques. The larger SWNTs are promising for gas-storage applications. The easy manipulation of the ropes offer special opportunities for their characterization and applications.