Synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes from liquefied petroleum gas

Hydrocarbons such as methane, ethylene, and CO with high purity (> 99.9%) have been widely used to synthesize single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Here, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was used to synthesize SWCNTs by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. The LPG converted into CNTs and other stable hydrocarbons. The BET specific surface area of SWCNT was about 583 m²/g. The as-grown SWCNT showed good graphitization. The graphitization can be further modulated by the growth temperature. Certain amount of sulfur in LPG was a promoter for SWCNT growth. Compared SWCNTs obtained from methane, more semiconductive SWCNTs were synthesized from LPG as carbon source. The LPG is in low price, thus, a methodology to lower the production cost of SWCNTs with hydrocarbon mixtures is realized.