Conformation and growth mechanism of the carbon nanocoils with twisting form in comparison with that of carbon microcoils

Abstract Carbon nanocoils with twisting form were grown by the Ni/Al 2 O 3 -catalyzed pyrolysis of acetylene. The conformation and the tip morphologies of the carbon nanocoils were examined in detail. The growth schematics of the carbon nanocoils relating to the catalyst rotating were proposed, comparing with that of the carbon microcoils. The driving force of the coiling of the straight fibers to form carbon nanocoils was considered to be the strong catalytic anisotropy of the carbon deposition between different crystal faces, and causing the different rotation way from that of carbon microcoils.