Oriented carbon nanostructures grown by hot-filament plasma-enhanced CVD from self-assembled Co-based catalyst on Si substrates

We report the synthesis of coral- and caterpillar-like carbon nanostructures assemblies starting from cobalt nitrate ethanol solutions deposited by drop-casting onto blank or carbon nanoparticles film covered Si(1 0 0) substrates. The seeded films were pre-treated with glow discharge hydrogen plasma aided by hot-filaments at 550 °C followed by introduction of acetylene at 700 °C. The resultant carbon nanostructure assemblies contain a high density of aligned carbon nanotubes/nanofibers (CNTs/CNFs). The influence of the forces that act during liquid-mediated self-assembly of Co catalyst precursor is discussed.

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► Coral- or caterpillar-like assemblies of oriented nanotubes on Si substrates are synthesized.
► Co pre-catalyst from salt solution self-assembles onto Si during fast evaporation.
► CNTs grow by HF PECVD as circular spots surrounded by finer radial arrangements.
► Pre-deposition of carbon nanoparticles results in long semi-suspended structures.