Fullerene-like carbon nanoparticles generated by radiofrequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition

We report a preliminary microstructural analysis of carbonaceous dust generated by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition using methane as a precursor. The extracted dust has been analysed by highresolution transmission electron microscopy and a significant population of fullerene-like aggregates of carbon nanoparticles and nanotubes revealed. This is believed to be the first report of material containing curved graphene layers generated by this technique, and we conclude that the method could be adapted to produce bulk quantities for industrial applications.