Synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes, their ropes and books

The carbon nanotube (CNT) is a model system of one-dimensional nanomaterials, which shows numerous unique properties and vast potential applications. The synthesis and assembly of high-quality CNTs are the basis for studies of their properties and applications. In this contribution, we briefly review our works on the controlled synthesis of single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) and double-walled CNTs via floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition and arc-discharge methods. The in situ assembly of such CNTs into ordered macrostructures with various dimensions including ropes, films, and buckybooks are also presented. Finally, we introduced our recent findings on metal-catalyst-free growth of SWCNTs.