ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Promoting effect of group VI metals on Ni/MgO for catalytic growth of carbon nanotubes by ethylene chemical vapour deposition

Ahmed E. Awadallah

Process Development Division, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Nasr City, Cairo 11787, Egypt

E-mail: ahmedelsayed_epri@yahoo.com

Abstract: The incorporation of 1 mass % of group VI metals (chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten) into 4 mass % of Ni/MgO catalysts was evaluated for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by the catalytic chemical vapour deposition of ethylene. All materials were characterised by XRD, surface area, TEM, SEM, Raman spectroscopy, and TGA-DTA. The resulting data demonstrated that the addition of group VI metals improved the surface area and metal dispersion, thereby achieving a remarkable enhancement in catalytic growth activity. Among the metals of group VI, Mo was found to be the most effective promoter for catalysing the CNTs’ growth. From TEM observation, long CNTs with a higher degree of graphitization were obtained on the Ni-Mo/MgO catalyst. TGA and DTA analysis showed that the as-grown CNTs over both Ni-Mo and Ni-W/MgO catalysts exhibited higher thermal stability.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes – chemical vapour deposition – nickel – transition metals – ethylene

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2015-0029

Chemical Papers 69 (2) 316–324 (2015)