Patent ID: 8470285

Claim:
A method for synthesizing carbon nanotubes comprising: making a first liquid phase metal salt powder catalyst solution of a first volume; making a second, different liquid phase metal salt powder catalyst solution of a second volume; making a C 60 carbon source liquid phase powder solution of a third volume resulting in respective first metal salt powder catalyst, second metal salt powder catalyst, and C 60 carbon source powder solutions; ultrasonicating the first metal salt catalyst, the second metal catalyst, and the C 60 carbon source solutions to de-agglomerate and uniformly disperse their respective powder form into the respective solutions to form a first dispersed solution, a second dispersed solution and a carbon source dispersed solution; depositing predetermined volumes of droplets of the first dispersed solution, the second dispersed solution, and the carbon source dispersed solution onto a substrate; drying the first dispersed solution, the second dispersed solution, and the carbon source dispersed solution on the substrate in an air environment for a predetermined time to form a carbon and catalyst mixture; and heating the carbon and catalyst mixture in the air environment for a predetermined temperature and time resulting in the growth of one or more carbon nanotubes.