Strong Metal–Support Interaction: Growth of Individual Carbon Nanofibers from Amorphous Carbon Interacting with an Electron Beam

To bridge physical mixing to chemical bonding? Use an electron beam! Individual carbon nanofibers can grow from physical mixing of amorphous carbon and Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9/Ni nanoparticles, under an electron beam in a 300 kV transmission electron microscope, without any gaseous carbon source and external heating, as a consequence of strong metal support interaction effect occurring in the mixtures.