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Abstract:
The thermal stability of initial and purified samples of single-walled
carbon nanotubes prepared through gas-phase disproportionation of
carbon monoxide CO in the presence of iron particles under high
pressure (the HiPCO method) is investigated using optical absorption
spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. An analysis of the optical
absorption spectra demonstrates that thermal oxidation of the initial
material proceeds rather rapidly and uniformly owing to the catalytic
effect caused by the presence of iron particles in the sample. The
destruction of the carbon nanotubes contained in the as-prepared and
purified samples begins at temperatures of similar to 250 and similar
to 300 degrees C, respectively. It is shown that single-walled metallic
nanotubes undergo faster oxidation as compared to the single-walled
semiconducting nanotubes.