Abstract
Among various nano-materials developed in the last decade, carbon nanomaterials (Nanofibers and tubes) have attained maximum attraction of the researchers as well as industries. With the attractive properties of carbon nanotubes and the potential applications in mind, there has been concerted efforts world wide to produce these materials in more economical way. In our Laboratory, we have launched programs to synthesize aligned carbon nanomaterials through chemical methods. Nanotubes have been synthesized using gaseous as well as solid precursors. It has been found that carbon nanomaterials are formed during pyrolysis of various polymeric precursors. These have been found to be preferentially deposited on substrates (walls of the reactor as well as intentional substrates kept in the reactor) from cracking of the volatiles. The yield increases if the precursors are impregnated with a suitable catalyst solution. These carbon nanomaterials have been characterized using XRD, TEM, SEM and thermal analysis techniques.
