TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metallic catalyst is a metal salt or an organometallic compound. The carbon nanotube is characterized by Bragg diffraction pattern peaks as given in the specification.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method further comprises: via a process utilizing the TCA and the metal catalyst, controlling a length and diameter of the carbon nanotube, the carbon nano fiber, or the functionalized nano carbon. Preferred Components: The carbon used to form the carbon nanotube is obtained from animal fatty acids or plant oils. The TCA comprises structural units of formulae ((R1)(R2)C(R3)-CN), (R1-C(R2)-CN), (NC-C?=R1), and (I), in which (I) comprises a 3 member ring, 4 member ring, 5 member ring, 6 member ring, 7 member ring, or 8 member ring having substituent groups including H, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylenyl, aryl (with or without hetero atoms, and with or without substituents including -OH, -SH, -NO2, -CN, -NR4R5, -NR6H, -NH2, -COOH, -CO, -COOR4, -O-, -CHO-, -S-, -SO3-, -SO2, -SOCl2, halo (-Cl, -Br, -I, -F), -N=N-, -PR8R9 or -COCl), where the member rings comprise benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, perylene or perinone. The carbon used to form the carbon nanotube is obtained from an additive comprising structural unit of formulae (R1-C(R2)-R3), (R1-(R2)(R3)P(R4)-R5), and (II)-(IV), substituted 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole compound formula (VII), substituted 1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-pyridine compound of formula (VIII), substituted pyrrolidine compound of formula (IX), substituted piperidine compound of formula (X), substituted 3H-pyrrole compound of formula (XI), substituted 1,2-dihydro-pyridine compound of formula (XII), and substituted heteroaryl compound of formulae (XIII) and (XIV).R1-R9 = H, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylenyl, aryl (with or without hetero atoms, and with or without substituents including -OH, -SH, -NO2, -CN, -NR4R5, -NR6H, -NH2, -COOH, -CO, -COOR4, -O-, -CHO-, -S-, -SO3-, -SO2, -SOCl2, halo (-Cl, -Br, -I, -F), -N=N-, -PR8R9 or -COCl); andn = 1-6.