Catalytic synthesis of tubular carbon nanofibers using propagating combustion wave in acetylene

A new method for the pyrolytic synthesis of carbon nanostructures is proposed and experimentally implemented. The synthesis takes place during the propagation of an acetylene combustion wave catalyzed by ferrocene vapor in the absence of oxygen. Under these conditions, long (>10 µm) tubular carbon nanofibers with an external diameter of 10–60 nm and a wall thickness of up to 5 nm were obtained. The proposed method is characterized by a high rate of synthesis and low energy consumption, which implies good prospects for the development of an effective catalytic technology for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes.