Growth of carbon hybrid materials by grafting on pre-grown carbon nanotube surfaces

Carbon hybrids consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and a different type of carbon nanomaterial grafted on them. Single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) used as the scaffold were grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using Fe nanoparticles as the catalysts. Carbon nanowalls (CNWs) were grown on the pre-grown SWCNT surfaces by hot-filament CVD. When the pre-grown SWCNT surfaces were oxidized using an acid, carbon nanoballoons were grown. These results indicate that a process including different types of growth combined with surface modification of the pre-grown nanomaterials is promising for creation of new hybrids.