Formation of Carbon Nanomaterials Having the Brittle Star-Like Mophology

The carbon nanomaterails having the brittle star-like morphology (bs-CNMs) could be synthesized using C2H2-SF6 gases under thermal chemical vapour deposition (TCVD) system. The micro-sized Ni grains were used as the catalyst for bs-CNMs on the Al2O3 substrate. The bs-CNMs could be obtained under the condition of the source gases flow rates at 100sccm for C2H2 and 50sccm for SF6. The bs-CNMs were understood to be composed of the numerous carbon nanofibers sprayed out from the central Ni grain. During the deposition reaction of the bs-CNMs, the central Ni grain seemed to move upward, while the sprayed-carbon nanofibers, in several thread strand types, seemed to go on downward. Most of the bs-CNMs were vertically grown onto the surface of the substrate. At the long time reaction (after 20 minutes), the bs-CNMs developed into the untangled thread bundles.