Diameter-controlled and nitrogen-doped vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes

Diameter controlled and vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes were synthesized from pure and mixed ethanol/acetonitrile feedstock. With increasing acetonitrile concentration in the feedstock, nitrogen incorporation into the sp2 carbon network increased until saturating at approximately one atomic percent. The incorporation of nitrogen correlates with a significant diameter reduction from a mean diameter of 2.1 nm down to 0.7 nm. Heteroatom-mediated diameter control is independent of catalyst preparation and represents a versatile tool for the direct synthesis of tailored single-walled carbon nanotubes.