Raman Characterization of SWNT of Various Diameters Obteined by Catalytic Disproportionation of CO

JOSE HERRERA; LEANDRO BALZANO; FRANCISCO POMPEO; DANIEL RESASCO

Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

American Scientific Publishers

Año: 2003 vol. 3 p. 133 - 138

1533-4899

Single-walled carbon nanotubes prepared by disproportionation of CO over Co-Mo/SiO2 catalysts have been characterized by Raman spectroscopy, using several exitation energies. By varying the reaction temperature, different ranges of nanotube diameter were obtained. The average diameter of a single-walled nanotube produced at 750ºC was 0.9 nm, while it increased up to 1.5 nm when the synthesis was conducted at 950ºC. The analysis of the Raman spectra obtained with a range of laser exitation energies not only gives a definite description of the single-walled nanotubes diameters but also helps differentiate the metallic or semiconducting character of the samples. This analysis can be done by comparing the experimental data with calculated gap anergies as a function of nanotube diameter as well as comparing the relative intensity of bands centered at 50-60 cm-1 lower than the tangencial G mode. The analysis of this feature, which can be fitted with a Breit-Wigner-Fano line, offers a method for distinguishing between metallic and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes.