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Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Simultaneous Synthesis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene in a Magnetically-enhanced Arc Plasma
Published on: February 2, 2012
Nucleation of graphene and its conversion to single-walled carbon nanotubes
Matthieu Picher1, Pin Ann Lin, Jose L Gomez-Ballesteros
1Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-6203, United States.
Abstract:
We use an environmental transmission electron microscope to record atomic-scale movies showing how carbon atoms assemble together on a catalyst nanoparticle to form a graphene sheet that progressively lifts-off to convert into a nanotube. Time-resolved observations combined with theoretical calculations confirm that some nanoparticle facets act like a vice-grip for graphene, offering anchoring sites, while other facets allow the graphene to lift-off, which is the essential step to convert into a nanotube.

