MATERIALS ENGINEERING | RESEARCH ARTICLE Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by arc-discharge and chemical vapor deposition method with analysis of its morphology, dispersion and functionalization characteristics

2 Abstract: In this paper, multi-walled carbon nanotubes are synthesized by arc- discharge and chemical vapor decomposition methods. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes are synthesized on thin film of nickel sputtered on silicon substrate by thermal chemical vapor deposition of acetylene at a temperature of 750°C. The flow of current in arc-discharge method varies in the range 50-200 A. Further arc- synthesized carbon nanotubes are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the results are compared with nanotubes grown by chemical vapor deposition method. XRD result shows a characteristic peak (0 0 2) at 26.54° corresponding to the presence of carbon nanotubes. SEM and TEM results give morphology of as-synthesized multi- walled nanotubes. TEM results indicate synthesis of well-graphitized carbon nano- tubes by arc-discharge method. Dispersion of arc-synthesized nanotubes in SDS solution under the effect of different sonication times is studied. Dispersion of nano- tubes in SDS solution is analyzed using UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and it shows an absorption peak at 260 nm. It was found that with the increase in sonication time, the absorption peak in UV-vis-NIR spectra will increase and optimum sonication