Why are alloy metal nanoparticles better than monometallic ones for CNT growth?

Researchers at the Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, within the Institute of Basic Science (IBS, South Korea), have presented a theoretical solution to a long-lasting mystery of carbon nanotube (CNT) growth. Published in Physical Review Letters, this study explains why nanoparticles made with an alloy of metals help to synthetize longer CNTs compared with conventional monometallic catalysts.