Carbon Nanostructures Grown on Graphite Substrates without Catalyst by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Standing fibrous carbon nanostructures have been synthesized from graphite substrates without a catalyst using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Sharpened carbon nanostructures with a diameter of 2-10 nm, a length of 30-180 nm, and a tip angle of 25 degrees were grown on the substrate surface. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the sharpened carbon nanostructure consists of a few graphite sheets with a good crystallinity. At a low temperature of 500 degrees C, short and conical carbon nanostructures, which are similar to carbon nanohorns, were densely grown at the surface of the graphite substrate.