Synthesis and characterization of carbon nanopearl chains on Co-Coated silicon substrate by CVD method

Carbon nanopearl chains (CNPCs) consisted of carbon nanospheres and carbon nanofibers were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using benzene as the carbon source and Co particles on Si-substrate as the catalyst. The characterized results confirmed that the carbon nanospheres with a diameter between 80 nm and 300 nm have solid structure and wavy graphite layered surface, while the carbon nanofibers (diameter: 16 nm) showed amorphous structure and excellent flexibility. Therefore, these synthesized CNPCs can be potentially applied as the reinforcing matrix. Moreover, the growth mechanism of CNPCs has also been proposed by investigating the effects of Co catalyst, thiophene promoter and gas-flow during the growth process.