Carbon nanotube fibers/filaments formulated from metal nanoparticle catalyst and carbon source

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of: providing a mixture of a polymer or a resin and a transition metal compound, producing a fiber from the mixture, and heating the fiber under conditions effective to form a carbon nanotube-containing carbonaceous fiber. The polymer or resin is an aromatic polymer or a precursor thereof and the mixture is a neat mixture or is combined with a solvent. Also disclosed are a carbonaceous fiber or carbonaceous nanofiber sheet having at least 15 wt. % carbon nanotubes, a fiber or nanofiber sheet having the a polymer or a resin and the transition metal compound, and a fiber or nanofiber sheet having an aromatic polymer and metal nanoparticles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nanofiber sheet comprising at least 15 wt. % carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         2 . The nanofiber sheet of  claim 1 , wherein nanofiber sheet further comprises metal nanoparticles. 
     
     
         3 . A nanofiber sheet comprising a mixture of:
 a polymer or a resin; and   a transition metal compound;
 wherein the polymer or resin is an aromatic polymer or a precursor thereof. 
   
     
     
         4 . The nanofiber sheet of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer or resin is a phthalonitrile polymer, polyacrylonitrile, coal pitches, petroleum pitches, or pitch resins. 
     
     
         5 . The nanofiber sheet of  claim 3 , wherein the transition metal compound is octacarbonyldicobalt, 1-(ferrocenylethynyl)-3-(phenylethynyl)benzene, diironnonacarbonyl, or bis(1,5-cyclooctodiene)nickel(0). 
     
     
         6 . A nanofiber sheet comprising:
 an aromatic polymer; and   metal nanoparticles.   
     
     
         7 . The nanofiber sheet of  claim 6 , wherein the aromatic polymer is a phthalonitrile polymer or a thermo-oxidative stabilized polyacrylonitrile, coal pitches, petroleum pitches, or pitch resins.