Nucleation of Graphene and Its Conversion to Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

作者：Picher Matthieu; Lin Pin Ann; Gomez Ballesteros Jose L; Balbuena Perla B; Sharma Renu^*

来源：Nano Letters, 2014, 14(11): 6104-6108.

DOI：10.1021/n1501977b

• Carbon nanotubes
• graphene nucleation mechanism
• environmental transmission
• electron microscopy

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.

• 出版日期2014-11