Germanium Catalyst for Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanodiamonds in Carbon–Argon Plasma
摘要
The synthesis of carbon nanotubes and nanodiamonds in argon electric arc plasma has been carried out. Germanium atoms served as a catalyst for the synthesis of nanotubes and nanodiamonds. Germanium was pressed into a graphite anode and gradually passed into a vapor state in an arc discharge. Germanium and carbon vapors were deposited on various areas of the graphite anode. The morphology of the synthesized material corresponds to carbon nanotubes with diameters of the order of 7–20 nm, nanodiamonds with sizes of the order of 7–12 nm, and nanodiamonds with sizes of the order of 150–350 nm. Among conventional nanodiamonds and nanotubes, there are rod-shaped nanodiamonds with a hexagonal cross section with dimensions of the order of 250 nm and a length of the order of 7 μm.