Naphthalene as an alternative carbon source for pyrolytic synthesis of carbon nanostructures

The utilization of naphthalene as an alternative carbon source for synthesis of carbon nanoparticles by pyrolyzing with ferrocene in a quartz tube reactor was experimentally investigated. Carbon nanoparticles including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanocapsules (CNCs), which contained Fe particles in their carbon shells, were simultaneously fabricated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses revealed that morphology and size of the carbon nanostructure strongly depended on the pyrolysis temperature. At a higher temperature, formation of CNCs would become more enhanced. Particle size distribution and yield of the synthesized products were also significantly influenced by the pyrolysis temperature.