General Oriented Formation of Carbon Nanotubes from Metal–Organic Frameworks

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are of great interest for many potential applications because of their extraordinary electronic, mechanical and structural properties. However, issues of chaotic staking, high cost and high energy dissipation in the synthesis of CNTs remain to be resolved. Here we develop a facile, general and high-yield strategy for the oriented formation of CNTs from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) through a low-temperature (as low as 430 °C) pyrolysis process. The selected MOF crystals act as a single precursor for both nanocatalysts and carbon sources. The key to the formation of CNTs is obtaining small nanocatalysts with high activity during the pyrolysis process. This method is successfully…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 51425204, 51521001
• MO
  Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China

  Awards: B17034, 2016-YB-004, 22016III001
• MO
  Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China

  Awards: 2016YFA0202603, 2013CB934103
• SA
  State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs

  Award: B17034
• CS
  China Scholarship Council

  Award: 201606955096