Nucleation and Growth of bundles of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (C-SWNTs): the Benard-Marangoni Instability (BMI) model

Abstract

A complete explanation of the synthesis of metal-catalyst nanoparticles, and the subsequent nucleation and growth of bundles of C-SWNTs is introduced using a novel model. It is shown that the synthesis process leads to the formation of a liquid layer supersaturated in carbon surrounding each metallic-catalyst nanoparticle. The onset of a solutal Bénard-Marangoni instability and the subsequent formation of patterns of hexagonal convection cells in the liquid layer is predicted and quantified by linear and weakly nonlinear analyses. The nucleation and growth of a C-SWNT at the center of convection cell is explained.