Robust chirality memory in carbon nanotubes growing under modulated and evolving environments

Abstract: Controlling the chirality and yield of carbon nanotubes is essential for their diverse applications from macroscopic composites to nanoelectronics. Floating-catalyst chemical vapor deposition is widely employed as a scalable synthesis route, where catalysts inevitably traverse spatially varying environments. However, prevailing interpretations of nanotube growth largely rely on ensemble monitoring or static, post-growth snapshots. Here, we combine digital isotope labeling with programmed temperature modulation to reconstruct the dynamic growth histories of supported individual nanotubes. Growth rates exhibit hysteresis and extraordinary sensitivity to temperature changes, indicating irreversible catalyst coarsening; nevertheless, the nanotube chirality remains robustly preserved across lengths exceeding 300 um. This sharp contrast between kinetic adaptability and structural memory in nanotube growth indicates that chirality control can be established at the nucleation stage, while allowing independent optimization of subsequent elongation. Our findings further call for a re-examination of static interpretations of diameter-determination mechanisms derived from post-growth snapshots.