Provided is a method for growing carbon nanotubes that enables the growth of high-density carbon nanotubes. A high frequency bias voltage is applied to a loading table on which a wafer W having a catalytic metal layer is mounted to generate a bias potential on the surface of the wafer W, and oxygen plasma is used to micronize the catalytic metal layer to form catalytic metal particles. Thereafter, hydrogen plasma is used to reduce the surface of the catalytic metal particles to form activated catalytic metal particles having an activated surface. By using each activated catalytic metal particles as a nucleus, carbon nanotubes are formed.

A carbon nanostructure producing method includes a growth step in which a plurality of catalyst particles in close contact with each other are separated in a flow of a carbon-containing gas so as to grow carbon nanotubes between the plurality of catalyst particles, and an elongation step in which the carbon nanotube is elongated by a wind pressure of the carbon-containing gas with at least one of the catalyst particles being retained.

A carbon nanostructure producing method includes a growth step in which a plurality of catalyst particles in close contact with each other are separated in a flow of a carbon-containing gas so as to grow carbon nanotubes between the plurality of catalyst particles, and an elongation step in which the carbon nanotube is elongated by a wind pressure of the carbon-containing gas with at least one of the catalyst particles being retained.

A carbon nanotube-based reference electrode and an all-carbon nanotube microelectrode assembly for electrochemical sensing and specialized analytics are disclosed, along with methods of manufacture, and applications including detection of ionic species including heavy metals in municipal and environmental water, monitoring of steel corrosion in steel-reinforced concrete, and analysis of biological fluids.

A method of forming a carbon nanotube array substrate is disclosed. One embodiment comprises depositing a composite catalyst layer on the substrate, oxidizing the composite catalyst layer, reducing the oxidized composite catalyst layer, and growing the array on the composite catalyst layer. The composite catalyst layer may comprise a group VIII element and a non-catalytic element deposited onto the substrate from an alloy. In another embodiment, the composite catalyst layer comprises alternating layers of iron and a lanthanide, preferably gadolinium or lanthanum. The composite catalyst layer may be reused to grow multiple carbon nanotube arrays without additional processing of the substrate. The method may comprise bulk synthesis by forming carbon nanotubes on a plurality of particulate substrates having a composite catalyst layer comprising the group VIII element and the non-catalytic element. In another embodiment, the composite catalyst layer is deposited on both sides of the substrate.

A method of forming a carbon nanotube array substrate is disclosed. One embodiment comprises depositing a composite catalyst layer on the substrate, oxidizing the composite catalyst layer, reducing the oxidized composite catalyst layer, and growing the array on the composite catalyst layer. The composite catalyst layer may comprise a group VIII element and a non-catalytic element deposited onto the substrate from an alloy. In another embodiment, the composite catalyst layer comprises alternating layers of iron and a lanthanide, preferably gadolinium or lanthanum. The composite catalyst layer may be reused to grow multiple carbon nanotube arrays without additional processing of the substrate. The method may comprise bulk synthesis by forming carbon nanotubes on a plurality of particulate substrates having a composite catalyst layer comprising the group VIII element and the non-catalytic element. In another embodiment, the composite catalyst layer is deposited on both sides of the substrate.

The present disclosure relates to a system and a method for preparing carbon nanofiber and hydrogen through continuous microwave pyrolysis. The system includes four apparatus. The melting and feeding apparatus is to heat and melt feedstocks. The microwave pyrolysis apparatus is for catalytic pyrolysis and includes a feedstock inlet, a gas outlet and a carbon outlet. The gas purification and utilization apparatus is for hydrogen purification and residual gas separation, The power generation apparatus includes a generator and a small internal combustion engine utilizing residual gas as fuel, and the generated smoke is conveyed to the melting and feeding apparatus for feedstocks melting. According to the present disclosure, a poly-generation system for co-producing high-performance carbon materials and hydrogen through plastic wastes with greatly increased energy utilization rate is formed to solve the technical problems of low product yield and high energy consumption in traditional pyrolysis.

The present disclosure relates to a patternable process for coating functional and adherent graphene-like carbon on multiple substrate types using CO.sub.2 laser-induced photothermal pyrolysis in scanning mode. The poly furfuryl alcohol (PFA) synthesised via low-temperature polymerisation of furfuryl alcohol precursor without any additives was used to form graphene-like carbon material.

The present disclosure relates to a patternable process for coating functional and adherent graphene-like carbon on multiple substrate types using CO.sub.2 laser-induced photothermal pyrolysis in scanning mode. The poly furfuryl alcohol (PFA) synthesised via low-temperature polymerisation of furfuryl alcohol precursor without any additives was used to form graphene-like carbon material.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a carbon nanotube fiber which is a continuous array of carbon nanotube. The present invention enables minimization of rotational flow inside a tube reactor and thus can facilitate enhanced tensile strength of the prepared carbon nanotube fiber.