Positive pressure assisted-arc discharge synthesis of single-walled carbon nanohorns

Catalyst-free, high-yield (kilogram-scale) and high-purity (>95%) synthesis of dahlia flower and “bud-like” single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) has been achieved via DC arc discharge under high pressures of Ar gas up to 0.35 MPa. In contrast, the mean size (100 nm) of SWCNH particle was twice as large as the counterpart in the literature via arc discharge. A new growth mechanism is proposed rationally to explain the mass production of SWCNHs under positive pressures, the growth mechanisms of SWCNHs rely mainly on the concentration of carbon clusters, rather than the temperature gradient of arc zone.