Bulk growth and separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes from rhenium catalyst

Bulk synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using solid catalyst has been challenging, despite of recent breakthrough in the chirality-specific growth on the flat substrate surface. In this work, we propose a porous magnesia support rhenium catalyst for bulk synthesis of SWNTs. It is found that the well-dispersed catalyst with a high melting point and the optimal chemical vapor deposition reaction conditions account for the growth of SWNTs. Detailed characterizations reveal the produced SWNTs are dominant in (n, n − 1) and (n, n − 2) species. Furthermore, by using a multicolumn chromatography post-growth separation method, SWNTs with three defined diameter ranges were obtained. This work guides the design of porous oxide supported catalyst for bulk synthesis and diameter-dependent sorting of SWNTs, which will ultimately help harness the extraordinary properties of SWNTs.