Transformation from single-walled carbon nanotubes to nanohorns by simple heating with Pd at 1600 °C

A route to synthesize single-wall carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) at a lower than normal temperature is reported. SWCNHs were synthesized at 1600 °C by a transformation from single-walled carbon nanotubes as the result of the catalytic effect of molten Pd. Observations by transmission electron microscope (TEM) on the remaining precursors suggested that SWCNTs were first deformed to highly curled shapes, and then were fragmentized into independent horns. Typical structures of SWCNHs were formed by merging these horn-like fragments.