Carbon nanotubes forming cores of fibrous aggregates of carbon nanohorns

Cores of fibrous aggregates composed of radially assembled graphene-based single-walled carbon nanohorns, named as carbon nanobrushes (CNBs), were observed using electron microscopes. As a result, a carbon nanotube (CNT), probably single-layer structure, exposed from the CNBs was observed. From cross section images of CNBs, three round structures of about 2.5 nm diameters were also observed clearly at center part of single-walled carbon nanohorn (SWCNH) aggregate, which indicates the cross section of bundled single-walled CNTs. Therefore, we found that CNTs were localized at the core of CNBs. From these results, as for the formation mechanism of CNBs, it is supposed that the CNT functions as a template and SWCNHs radially gather on the CNT.

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