Direct imaging of copper catalyst migration inside helical carbon nanofibers
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Updated: May 26, 2026
Microscopic Visualization of Porous Nanographenes Synthesized through a Combination of Solution and On-Surface Chemistry
Published on: March 4, 2021
Lifeng Dong1, Liyan Yu, Zuolin Cui
1College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, People's Republic of China. DongLifeng@yahoo.com
Abstract:
By using a double-aberration-corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscope (STEM/TEM) at an acceleration voltage of only 80 kV, we demonstrate that, due to the low solubility of copper (Cu) in carbon and its affinity with oxygen (O), single-crystal Cu catalysts dissociate into small cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles after the growth of carbon nanofibers, and Cu2O nanoparticles ultimately localize on the fiber surfaces. This new finding is a step toward a better understanding of the interactions between Cu catalysts and carbon nanomaterials and could suggest a simple and effective method for eliminating Cu impurities from the fibers.
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