Formation of Carbon Nanofibers and Thin Films Catalyzed by Palladium in Ethylene-Hydrogen Mixtures

The nature of observed growth of solid carbon on palladium from ethylene-hydrogen mixtures is consistent with the supposition that the primary source of carbon for growth is homogeneously generated radicals. Evidence includes the lack of growth in the absence of a reacting mixture, sharp maxima as a function of temperature, and dramatic differences in temperature of growth as a function of mixture composition. The finding that the structure of the support strongly influenced the morphology of the solid carbon, and the temperature regime for deposition, is also consistent with this model. Carbon nanofibers were found to form on sputtered palladium films and palladium nanopowder (ca. 700 °C), whereas planar carbon structures deposited on palladium micrometer powder and foil (ca. 600 °C). A radical species growth mechanism is consistent not only with observations made herein but also with data presented in earlier studies.