Patent ID: 8124043
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: B82Y,C01B,H01M,Y02E,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of preparing carbon nanotubes comprising providing a metal catalyst salt and a surfactant; contacting the metal catalyst salt and the surfactant to form a first mixture; heating the first mixture to form metal catalyst nanoparticles; providing a support component; contacting the support component and the metal catalyst nanoparticles to form supported metal catalyst nanoparticles; drying the supported metal catalyst nanoparticles; and contacting the supported metal catalyst nanoparticles with a carbon source to form carbon nanotubes and carbon-containing non-carbon nanotube material on the supported metal catalyst nanoparticles, and wherein the metal catalyst nanoparticles comprise metal catalyst nanoparticles having diameters ranging between about 1 nm and about 11 nm, the surfactant comprises a compound having a molecular weight of no greater than about 75 g/mol, and comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of water, methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, glycol, tetrahydrofuran, and mixtures thereof, and the heating of the first mixture is to a temperature ranging from greater than about 32° C. to less than the melting point temperature or decomposition temperature of the metal catalyst salt.