Simple, effective and scalable process for making carbon nanotubes

Abstract

A simple, effective and scalable method for fabricating carbon nanotubes. The method has two simple steps: (a) producing the carbon precursors (i.e., nanotubes of conducting polymer) in water solution via a soft template method involving a fibrillar complex and (b) carbonizing the carbon precursors (i.e. the nanotubes of the conducting polymer) at a temperature between 900-2200° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere or under a vacuum condition.

1 . A method for fabricating carbon nanotubes, comprising the steps of
 (a) forming chemically a plurality of carbon precursors, which are nanotubes of conducting polymer, by adding conducting monomers in a water solution having a soft template and   (b) carbonizing said carbon precursors from step (a) at a temperature between 900-2200° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere or under a vacuum condition to afford a plurality of carbon nanotubes.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said soft template is formed in water solution by an oxidant and methyl orange. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said oxidant is FeCl 3 . 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (a) is carried out at a temperature within the range between room temperature and 130° C., and step (b) is carried out at a temperature within the range between 900-2200° C. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step (a) lasts for 24 hours and step (b) lasts for 3-5 hours. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step (b) is carried out by putting said carbon precursors from step (a) in a quartz tubular furnace under a nitrogen atmosphere or in a high temperature vacuum oven. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said conducting polymer is a conjugated polymer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said conjugated polymer is polypyrrole, polyaniline or polythiophene and said monomer is pyrrole, aniline, or thiophene, respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step (b) is carried at 900° C. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said oxidant is ammonium persulfate, potassium persulfate, or ferric nitrate.