As described elsewhere on this site, Carl worked on catalytic carbon filament growth while he was at the Exxon Corporate Research Science Labs. When he arrived at the University at Buffalo, he continued working in this area. The focus of the work done at U. B. was to develop a quantitative model for the process. It was generally agreed that these filaments grew when carbon deposited on one face of a metal nanoparticle, diffused through the metal, and precipitated on the opposite face. However, there was some debate whether the driving force for the diffusion was a gradient in carbon concentration or a gradient in temperature, which then established a concentration gradient. In collaboration with Ralph Yang, we showed that it is a gradient in the thermodynamic activity that is responsible, and that this gradient could not be established by temperature differences across the metal nanoparticle. In collaboration with John Tsamopoulos, we developed a mechanistic model for the growth process that was able to semi-quantiatively explain the kinetics of nanotube growth, the dependence of the nanotube growth rate upon its diameter and the hollow nature of the resulting nanotubes.

“A Model for the Catalytic Growth of Carbon Filaments,” Chitrapu, P., Lund, C. R. F., and Tsamopoulos, J. A., Carbon 30, 285 (1992). [more info]

“The Dependence of Catalytic Carbon Filament Growth Kinetics Upon Gas Phase Carbon Activity,” S. A. Safvi, E. C. Bianchini, and C. R. F. Lund, Carbon 29, 1245 (1991). [more info]

“Solubility and Diffusivity of Carbon in Metals,” R. T. Yang, P. G. Goethal, J. M. Schwartz, and C. R. F. Lund, J. Catal. 122, 206 (1990). [more info]

“Solid State Diffusion During Carbon Gasification and Filament Growth,” C. R. F. Lund and R. T. Yang, Carbon 27, 956 (1989). [more info]

“Kinetic Implications of Mechanisms Proposed for Catalytic Carbon Filament Growth,” E. C. Bianchini, and C. R. F. Lund, J. Catal. 117, 455 (1989). [more info]

“Kinetic Implications of Mechanisms Proposed for Carbon Filament Growth,” Carbon Conference, Penn State University, June 27, 1989.

“Mechanistic Interpretation of the Kinetics of Catalytic Carbon Filament Growth,” North American Meeting of the Catalysis Society, Detroit, May 8, 1989.

Syed A. Safvi, “A Catalytic Study of Carbon Filament Growth,” M. S. Thesis, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Dept. of Chemical Engineering (1990). [more info]

Padmavati Chitrapu, “A Model for the Catalytic Growth of Carbon Filaments,” M. S. Thesis, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Dept. of Chemical Engineering (1989). [more info]

Eber Carbone Bianchini, “A Study of the Catalytic Production of Carbon Filaments,” M. S. Thesis, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Dept. of Chemical Engineering (1988). [more info]