A model of carbon-nanotube growth-rate limitation on thin-film catalysts

It is experimentally established and theoretically justified that a decreasing growth rate of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on thin-film catalysts may be caused by the formation of intermetallic compounds that hinder supply of carbon from the bulk. In particular, the growth of CNTs on the Ti–Ni thin-film system is accompanied by the formation of a titanium carbide layer on the surface of a catalyst droplet. The kinetics of CNT growth under these conditions is calculated, and kinetic coefficients determining the growth rate are evaluated.