A scalable CVD method for the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes with high catalyst productivity

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are known to possess superior mechanical and electronic properties. However, the lack of methods for large-scale preparation limits fundamental research and application development of this unique material. Among all methods currently used for SWNT preparation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method represents the best hope for large-scale production. However, current CVD method has limited catalyst productivity (∼40% the weight of the starting catalyst). Here we report an improved CVD method for preparation of SWNTs with high productivity using a novel aerogel supported Fe/Mo catalyst. The total amount of high-quality SWNTs produced is greater than 200% the weight of the catalysts.