Improved synthesis of carbon nanotubes with junctions and of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Pyrolysis of thiophene over nickel nanoparticles dispersed on silica is shown to yield Yjunction carbon nanotubes with smaller diameters than those obtained by the pyrolysis of organometallicthiophene mixtures. In the presence of water vapour, the pyrolysis of organometallic-hydrocarbon mixtures yields single-walled nanotubes, as well as relatively narrow-diameter carbon nanotubes with Y-junctions. Pyrolysis of organometallic-hydrocarbon mixtures, in the absence of water vapour, only gives nanotubes with T- and Y-junctions.