Theoretical calculations on the catalytic growth of multiwall carbon nanotube in chemical vapor deposition

The catalytic growth of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been investigated, and the growth time, rate and activation energy were determined. The calculated results show a well correlation with reported experimental data. This study suggests that the growth may be driven by a concentration gradient within the catalyst. This is an attempt to improve a better understanding of carbon nanotube generation process in a more realistic macroscopic model.