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Nanotechnology

How does a nanofibre grow?

Nature volume 427, pages 402–403 (2004)Cite this article

Decades of research have failed to decipher the atomic-scale mechanism by which carbon nanofibres grow out of vapour. High-resolution microscopy shows that the carbon atoms have a bumpy ride.

In his historic monograph On Growth and Form1, D'Arcy Thompson wrote that the form of an object is a diagram of its growth forces. Often, however, this relationship between growth and form is too complex to determine: the growth of filamentous carbon in the vapour phase is a case in point. Despite a large body of literature on the subject, replete with fascinating and varied examples, no definitive model for the growth of carbon nanofibres has evolved, owing to a lack of consistent experimental data2,3. Considering the substantial impact that these materials are likely to have on technology4, it seems imperative that their growth mechanisms be understood, so that nanofibres can be manufactured with well-defined characteristics. A long-awaited solution to the mystery of nanofibre growth is presented by Helveg et al.5 on page 426 of this issue.

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Figure 1: Growth of a nanofibre.

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  1. the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, 12180-3590, New York, USA

    Pulickel M. Ajayan

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  1. Pulickel M. Ajayan
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Ajayan, P. How does a nanofibre grow?. Nature 427, 402–403 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/427402a

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