Development of novel synthetic method of carbon nanotubes from electrospun polystyrene fibers by using microwave heating

We have developed a novel synthetic method that enables us to easily synthesize metal-capsulated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a laboratory by using a combined technology of electrospinning-metallization and microwave heating. These techniques greatly shorten the time for the synthesis of the CNTs in comparison with the conventional methods. TEM analysis confirmed a successful formation of the CNTs, and the resulting CNTs were multi-walled and found to be about 25–100 nm in diameters. The products prepared by heating at 600 and 900°C exhibited less-developed and strongly curved CNTs, whereas the products prepared by heating at 700 and 800°C relatively well-developed long CNTs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.