Structural investigations of single-wall carbon nanotubes grown from nanosized graphite

We report on the production of single-wall carbon nanotubes from nanosized graphite powders and atomic hydrogen using a novel growth technique. The individual nanotubes produced during the process form rather thick layers of bundles deposited onto the iron-coated Si substrates. Raman spectroscopy in the 150–250 cm−1 region and reflection electron diffraction in selected area configuration have been used to define the geometrical details of the nanotubes. The proposed growth methodology is found to yield prevalently nanotubes belonging to the (n, 0) zigzag achiral subclass, with a diameter distribution function centred at about 1.6 nm.