Low temperature solvothermal synthesis of multiwall carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We have successfully synthesized multiwall carbon nanotubes by a low temperature solvothermal approach at 310 °C, in which ethoxylated alcohol polyoxyethylene (4) ether was used as carbon source. Transmission electron microscopy observations indicated that the multiwall carbon nanotubes have outer diameters between 5 and 20 nm, and inner diameters between 2 and 8 nm. The length of the multiwall carbon nanotubes is of several micrometres. A possible growth mechanism has been proposed.