Nucleation of graphene and its conversion to single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Picher, Matthieu; Lin, Pin Ann; Gomez-Ballesteros, Jose L; Balbuena, Perla B; Sharma, Renu · Nano Lett · 2014

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

We use an environmental transmission electron microscope to record atomic-scale movies showing how carbon atoms assemble together on a catalyst nanoparticle to form a graphene sheet that progressively lifts-off to convert into a nanotube. Time-resolved observations combined with theoretical calculations confirm that some nanoparticle facets act like a vice-grip for graphene, offering anchoring sites, while other facets allow the graphene to lift-off, which is the essential step to convert into a nanotube.