Controllable fabrication of carbon nanotube and nanobelt with a polyoxometalate-assisted mild hydrothermal process.

Carbon nanotubes, carbon nanobelts, and carbon nanoparticles can be prepared directly from active carbon powders by a polyoxometalates (POMs)-assisted mild hydrothermal process. After the hydrothermal reaction the POMs are changed into heteropoly blues, which can be converted into the POMs by a small amount of H2O2 solution.