Laser ablation process for single-walled carbon nanotube production.

Different types of lasers are now routinely used to prepare single-walled carbon nanotubes. The original method developed by researchers at Rice University used a "double-pulse laser oven" process. Several researchers have used variations of the lasers to include one-laser pulse (green or infrared), different pulse widths (ns to micros as well as continuous wave), and different laser wavelengths (e.g., CO2, or free electron lasers in the near to far infrared). Some of these variations are tried with different combinations and concentrations of metal catalysts, buffer gases (e.g., helium), oven temperatures, flow conditions, and even different porosities of the graphite targets. This article is an attempt to cover all these variations and their relative merits. Possible growth mechanisms under these different conditions will also be discussed.