Thermodynamics behind carbon nanotube growth via endothermic catalytic decomposition reaction

Carbon filaments can be grown using hydrocarbons with either exothermic or endothermic catalytic decomposition enthalpies. By in situ monitoring the evolution of the reaction enthalpy during nanotube synthesis via methane gas, we found that although the decomposition reaction of methane is endothermic an exothermic process is superimposed which accompanies the nanotube growth. Analysis shows that the main contributor in this liberated heat is the radiative heat transfer from the surroundings, along with dehydrogenation reaction of in situ formed secondary hydrocarbons on the catalyst surface and the carbon hydrogenation/oxidation processes. This finding implies that nanotube growth process enthalpy is exothermic, and particularly, it extends the commonly accepted temperature gradient driven growth mechanism to the growth via hydrocarbons with endothermic decomposition enthalpy.