Single-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized by the pyrolysis of pyridine over catalysts

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were successfully synthesized by pyrolysis of pyridine over MgO supported Fe–Mo or Co–Mo catalysts in the presence of pure H2 or a mixture of H2 and NH3 atmospheres. The average diameters of SWNTs are ∼1.5 and ∼3 nm for pure H2 and the H2 and HN3 mixture, respectively. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) studies show that the SWNTs grown in both atmospheres are doped with nitrogen substituted into the lattice in a pyridine-type structure. This results in a donor feature in the local density of states with an energy that depends on the nitrogen doping concentration.