Assembled Monolayer of Silicalite-1-Supported Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Carbon Nanotube Growth by Catalytic Chemical Vapour Deposition

Abstract

An assembled monolayer of silicalite-1 microcrystals was prepared on a Si wafer for carbon nanotube grown by rubbing method. Iron oxide (a-Fe₂O₃, hematite) catalyst films were deposited onto the silicalite-1 layer from a Fe₂O₃ target by radio frequency-sputtering. This approach demonstrated the potential to produce well-aligned and diameter-controlled carbon nanotubes from predesigned silicalite-1 templates by catalytic chemical vapour deposition. The silicalite-1 monolayer oriented with faces parallel to the Si wafer showed planes only in the form of {0 k 0} lines at (020), (040), (060), (080) and (0100), according to the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. The carbon nanotubes were formed and grown by catalytic chemical vapour deposition within the pores of the silicalite-1 crystals. These pores were consequently defined as confined channels with a pore diameter of 5.60 Å that acted as a template for a fine dispersion of well-defined Fe₂O₃ (10-15 nm) particles.