Growth of catalyst-assisted and catalyst-free horizontally aligned single wall carbon nanotubes

Here, we report the growth of homogenously horizontally aligned single wall carbon nanotubes on stable temperature cut single crystal quartz using chemical vapor deposition with controllable yield and length from binary metallic mixtures as well as fullerene derivatives. We manage the yield and length of the as-grown tubes on stable temperature cut single crystal quartz by controlling the surface roughness of the support substrates by thermal treatment in air. Carbon caps derived from pre-treated fullerenes are also explored for their potential to nucleate growth of single wall carbon nanotubes without the need of a catalyst particle. Exohedrally functionalized fullerenes are apparently better nucleators than C60 fullerenes. Yield of the as-grown single wall carbon nanotubes on thermally annealed ST-quartz substrates.