Effect of oxidation of catalysts on the growth of carbon nanotubes

The effect of oxidation of a nickel catalyst on the growth of carbon nanotubes is experimentally and theoretically analyzed. An expression for the solubility of impurity in the cluster is derived with allowance for the surface tension. It is demonstrated that the oxidation of the surface of the catalyst cluster causes a decrease in the effective coefficient of surface tension. This circumstance leads to an increase in the solubility of carbon in the cluster and an increase in the growth rate of carbon nanotubes.