One-step path to highly crystalline multi-walled carbon nanotubes with large inner diameters

High crystalline multi-walled carbon nanotubes with large inner diameters have been produced by a one-step synthesis method from ferrocene pyrolysis in a sealed pre-vacuumed quartz tube. Ferrocene serves as both catalyst and carbon source. The diameters of the as-produced carbon nanotubes have been observed by transmission electron microscope to be 40-60 nm with inner diameters of 20-40 t shells for the encapsulation experiments. The high crystallinity of the as-produced carbon nanotubes has also been characterized by Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements.