Catalyzed growth of oriented carbon nanotubes using Fe–organosilicon core–shell nanoparticles

Iron-based nanocomposites were synthesized by the CO2 laser-induced co-pyrolysis of Fe(CO)5 and [(CH3)3Si]2O (HMDSO) vapors. The obtained nanoparticles exhibited an iron-based core surrounded by an organosilicon polymer shell. Particles having different thicknesses of the polymer shell were deposited by either a spin-coating or by a drop-casting method on Si(1 0 0) substrates. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown by dc plasma-assisted and filaments-activated CCVD processes in H2/C2H2 mixtures at 700 °C. The CNT growth was studied by several analytical techniques: SEM, TEM and Raman spectroscopy. High density of well-aligned, vertical MWCNTs was obtained.