Synthesis of Amorphous Carbon Nanostrcutures on Copper Nanoparticles at Low Temperature: A Surface Diffusion Process

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Based on a wealth of experimental evidence it seems reasonable that the growth of carbon-basednanostructures via copper catalysts nanoparticles is driven by a surface diffusion mechanism. Up todate, no appropriate model exists containing such a mechanism. Therefore, our main goal in the project proposed here is to carry out systematic studies on the effect of catalyst size, available catalystfacettes, and various process parameters such as temperature, pressure, gas composition, and otherson the growth of the corresponding carbon-based nanostructures. These studies will be carried out forthe interactions between copper nanocrystals and hydrocarbon gas species (like acetylene) and willform the basis for a formulation of a novel surface diffusion based growth mechanism that contraststhe conventional vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism or the general thermal decompositionmechanism. The final conclusions and methodology of this proposal are supposedly not restricted tothe above mentioned carbon nanostructures; we rather expect to unravel significant aspects of catalyst assisted synthesis or design of a variety of one-dimensional nanomaterial in general. All acquired data will, of course, be gladly shared with any interested theory group working in the field.