Method of forming a nano-supported catalyst on a substrate for nanotube growth

Abstract

Methods of forming a nano-supported catalyst on a substrate and at least one carbon nanotube on the substrate are comprised of configuring a substrate with an electrode ( 102 ), immersing the substrate with the electrode into a solvent containing a first metal salt and a second metal salt ( 104 ) and applying a bias voltage to the electrode such that a nano-supported catalyst is at least partly formed with the first metal salt and the second metal salt on the substrate at the electrode ( 106 ). In addition, the method of forming at least one carbon nanotube is comprised of conducting a chemical reaction process such as catalytic decomposition, pyrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, or hot filament chemical vapor deposition o grow at least one nanotube on the surface of the nano-supported catalyst ( 108 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . The method of forming a nano-supported catalyst on a substrate, comprising: 
 configuring a substrate with an electrode;    immersing said substrate with said electrode into a solvent containing a first metal salt and a second metal salt, wherein said first metal salt and said second metal are soluble in said solvent; and    applying a bias voltage to said electrode such that a nano-supported catalyst is at least partly formed from said first metal salt and said second metal salt on said substrate at said electrode, wherein said nano-supported catalyst has an active catalytic particle with at least one dimension that is greater than one tenth of a nanometer and less than about five hundred nanometers.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said active catalytic particle is derived from said second metal salt and selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said active catalytic particle is comprised of a metal oxide support that is derived from said first metal salt and selected from the group consisting of alumina, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing oxygen from said active catalytic particle contained in said nano-supported catalyst.  
     
     
         5 . A method of forming a nano-supported catalyst on a substrate, comprising: 
 configuring a substrate with an electrode;    immersing said substrate with said electrode into a first solvent containing a first metal salt, wherein said first metal salt is soluble in said first solvent;    applying a first bias voltage to said electrode such that a nano-supported catalyst is at least partly formed from said first metal salt on said substrate at said electrode;    removing said substrate from said first solvent containing said first metal salt;    immersing said substrate with said electrode into a second solvent containing a second metal salt, wherein said second metal salt is soluble in said second solvent; and    applying a second bias voltage to said electrode in said solvent such that said nano-supported catalyst is partly formed from said second metal salt on said first electrode, wherein said nano-supported catalyst has an active catalytic particle that has at least one dimension greater than about one tenth of a nanometer and less than about five hundred nanometers.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said active catalytic particle is derived from said second metal salt and selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said active catalytic particle is comprised of a metal oxide support that is derived from said first metal salt and selected from the group consisting of alumina, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising removing oxygen from said active catalytic particle contained in said nano-supported catalyst.  
     
     
         9 . A method of forming at least one nanotube on a substrate, comprising: 
 configuring a substrate with an electrode;    immersing said substrate with said electrode into a solvent containing a first metal salt and a second metal salt, wherein said first metal salt and said second metal are soluble in said solvent;    applying a bias voltage to said electrode such that a nano-supported catalyst is at least partly formed from said first metal salt and said second metal salt on said substrate at said electrode; and    conducting a chemical reaction process to grow at least one nanotube on said nano-supported catalyst formed at least in part from said first metal salt and said second metal salt.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , where said chemical reaction process is selected from the group consisting of catalytic decomposition, pyrolysis, chemical vapor deposition, and Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HTCVD)  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said nano-supported catalyst has an active catalytic particle with at least one dimension greater than about one tenth of a nanometer and less than about five hundred nanometers.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said nano-supported catalyst is derived from said second metal and selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one dimension that is less than about ten nanometers.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one dimension that is less than about three nanometers.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one dimension that is less than about one nanometer.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said nano-supported catalyst has a metal oxide support derived from said first metal salt and selected from the group consisting of alumina, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of water and alcohol and a combination thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said chemical reaction process is conducted at a nanotube growth temperature that is less than about six hundreds and fifty degrees Celsius.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said chemical reaction process is conducted at a nanotube growth temperature that is less than about six hundreds degrees Celsius and greater than about five hundreds degrees Celsius.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said substrate is selected from the group comprising borosilicate glass and sodalime glass.