Ferrocene Catalyzed Carbon Nanotube Formation in Carbonaceous Solid

Carbon nanotubes are formed in a carbonaceous solid from thermal decomposition of various amounts of 1,4-diferrocenylbutadiyne in the presence of an excess amount of a multi(ethynyl)aromatic compound. Only a small amount of the ferrocenyl compound is needed to achieve the formation of carbon nanotubes in high yield. The method described here permits the large-scale production of carbon nanotubes in a shaped, solid configuration. The carbon nanotubes form under atmospheric pressure during the carbonization process above 500 °C in the carbonaceous solid. The Fe atoms, nanoclusters, and/or nanoparticles formed from the decomposition of the 1,4-diferrocenylbutadiyne are the key to the formation of the carbon nanotubes in the developing carbonaceous solid by reacting with the developing polycondensed aromatic ring system. The carbonaceous solids were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy studies.