Catalytic growth of carbon microtubules with fullerene structure

A method to grow carbon microtubules with fullerene structure (buckytubes) has been identified. The method consists of the catalytic decomposition of acetylene over iron particles at 700 °C. Carbon microtubules of up to 50 μm in length are synthesized by this method. Electron diffraction and high resolution electron microscopy studies demonstrate that the structure of these microtubules corresponds to the helical structure recently reported by S. Iijima, Nature 354, 56(1991), prepared using an arc-discharge evaporation method.