Selective Growth of Single‐walled Carbon Nanotubes using Cobalt Disilicide

Abstract After chirality‐specified growth of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was realized by tungsten‐based intermetallic compound catalysts, here we developed a different kind of intermetallic compound, cobalt disilicide (CoSi₂), as catalysts to selective grow carbon nanotubes by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). By using methane as carbon source, we obtained (11, 7) tubes with the selectivity of ∼24% and semiconducting SWCNTs (s‐SWCNTs) with the purity of ∼93% simultaneously. Because of the sensitivity of CoSi₂ toward the oxygen‐containing environment at high temperatures, ethanol is not a good carbon feedstock. Our results not only expand the chirality library and catalyst database in the chirality‐selective synthesis of SWCNTs, but also further demonstrate the feasibility of intermetallic compound catalysts.