Study on Diameter Controlled Growth of Carbon Nanotubes by LaAl1-xFexO3 Catalysts

A series of LaAl1-xFexO3 catalysts prepared with lanthanum nitrate, aluminium nitrate and iron nitrate was investigated in catalytical syntheses of carbon nanotubes with high yields and purity. The properties of carbon nanotubes prepared by the method of CVD(chemical vapor deposition) with n-hexane as the carbon resource were studied and it was shown that the diameter of carbon nanotubes can be controlled by the molar ratio of iron to aluminum in the catalysts and that the diameter of carbon nanotubes changes a little with the decrease of the iron content in the catalysts. From the TEM pictures of carbon nanotubes, it can be found that the LaAl1-xFexO3 catalysts have a significant influence on the wall thickness of the carbon nanotubes, whereas they have little influence on the inner diameter of the carbon nanotubes.