Bundle-like carbon nanofibers grown from methane decomposition

Bundle-like carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared from methane decomposition over Ni nanoparticles supported by grooved SiC nanowires. In the bundle-like CNFs, several CNFs grow in a parallel mode and form a bundle of CNFs. Large loading of Ni and limited space of nanoscale grooves on the nanowires lead to aggregation of Ni nanoparticles in the nanoscale grooves. The aggregated Ni nanoparticles generate several CNFs, which close up each other and form the bundle-like CNFs. The bundle-like CNFs become curved due to the difference in growth rates of different CNFs.