Self-assembled double ladder structure formed inside carbon nanotubes by encapsulation of H8Si8O12

Isolation of Single-Wired Transition-Metal Monochalcogenides by Carbon Nanotubes

The successful isolation of single layers from two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW)-layered materials has opened new frontiers in condensed matter physics and materials science. Their discovery and unique properties laid the foundation for exploring 1D counterparts. However, the isolation of 1D vdW-wired materials has thus far remained a challenge, and effective techniques are demanded. Here we report the facile synthesis of isolated transition-metal monochalcogenide MoTe nanowires by using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as molds. Individual nanowires are perfectly separated by CNTs with a minimal interaction, enabling detailed characterization of the single wires. Transmission electron microscopy revealed unusual torsional motion of MoTe nanowires inside CNTs. Confinement of 1D vdW-wired materials to the nanotest tubes might open up possibilities for exploring unprecedented properties of the nanowires and their potential applications such as electromechanical switching devices.

Novel Fe3O4@GNF@SiO2 nanocapsules fabricated through the combination of an in situ formation method and SiO2 coating process for magnetic resonance imaging

An in situ approach for the synthesis of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles combined with a SiO₂ coating process was employed to prepare Fe₃O₄@GNF@SiO₂ nanocapsules.

One-dimensional nanowires of pseudoboehmite (aluminum oxyhydroxide γ-AlOOH)

We report the discovery of a 1D crystalline structure of aluminum oxyhydroxide. It was found in a commercial product of fibrous pseudoboehmite (PB), γ-AlOOH, synthesized easily with low cost. The thinnest fiber found was a ribbon-like structure of only two layers of an Al-O octahedral double sheet having a submicrometer length along its c axis and 0.68-nm thickness along its b axis. This thickness is only slightly larger than half of the lattice parameter of the b-axis unit cell of the boehmite crystal (b/2 = 0.61 nm). Moreover, interlayer splittings having an average width of 1 nm inside the fibrous PB are found. These wider interlayer spaces may have intercalation of water, which is suggested by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The fibers appear to grow as almost isolated individual filaments in aqueous Al-hydroxide sols and the growth direction of fibrous PB is always along its c axis.

Atomic structure and dynamic behaviour of truly one-dimensional ionic chains inside carbon nanotubes

Materials with reduced dimensionality have attracted much interest in various fields of fundamental and applied science. True one-dimensional (1D) crystals with single-atom thickness have been realized only for few elemental metals (Au, Ag) or carbon, all of which showed very short lifetimes under ambient conditions. We demonstrate here a successful synthesis of stable 1D ionic crystals in which two chemical elements, one being a cation and the other an anion, align alternately inside carbon nanotubes. Unusual dynamical behaviours for different atoms in the 1D lattice are experimentally corroborated and suggest substantial interactions of the atoms with the nanotube sheath. Our theoretical studies indicate that the 1D ionic crystals have optical properties distinct from those of their bulk counterparts and that the properties can be engineered by introducing atomic defects into the chains.

Structure and electronic properties of the double-wall nanotubes constructed from SiO2 nanotubes encapsulated inside zigzag carbon nanotubes

This paper presents ab initio self-consistent field crystal orbital calculations on the structures, stabilities, elastic and electronic properties of the double-wall nanotubes made of SiO(2) nanotubes encapsulated inside zigzag carbon nanotubes based on density functional theory. It is found that formation of the combined systems is energetically favorable when the nearest distance between the two constituents is in the area of the van der Waals effect. The obtained band structures show that all the combined systems are semiconductors with nonzero energy gaps. Based on the deformation potential theory and effective mass approximation, the mobilities of charge carriers are calculated to be in the range of 10(2)-10(4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), the same order of magnitude as those of the corresponding zigzag carbon nanotubes. The Young's moduli are also calculated for the combined systems.

Atomic scale growth dynamics of nanocrystals within carbon nanotubes

The confined interior region of carbon nanotubes has proved to be an effective "nano-test-tube" to conduct chemical reactions in a restricted volume. It also benefits from being thin and relatively transparent to electrons, enabling structural characterization using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. This permits real-time monitoring of chemical reactions with atomic resolution. Here, we have studied the dynamics of single Pr atoms released from Pr(2)@C(72) metallofullerenes. We show that the Pr atoms form small nanoclusters that subsequently coalesce to ordered, stable nanocrystals within the confines of a carbon nanotube. This process has been tracked in situ with atomic-resolution using low-voltage aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. We reveal that nanocrystal formation within a nanotube does not generally occur by the addition of single atoms to one pre-existing cluster but rather through aggregation of several smaller clusters. These results provide some of the deepest insights into the dynamics of single-atom behavior in the solid state.

Symmetry-adapted rotator functions for molecules in cylindrical confinement

We present a general description of the formalism of symmetry-adapted rotator functions (SARFs) for molecules in cylindrical confinement. Molecules are considered as clusters of interaction centers (ICs), can have any symmetry, and can display different types of ICs. Cylindrical confinement can be realized by encapsulation in a carbon nanotube (CNT). The potential energy of a molecule surrounded by a CNT can be calculated by evaluating a limited number of terms of an expansion into SARFs, which offers a significant reduction of the computation time. Optimal molecular orientations can be deduced from the resulting potential energy landscape. Examples, including the case of a molecule with cubic symmetry inside a CNT, are discussed.

A six degree of freedom nanomanipulator design based on carbon nanotube bundles

Scanning probe imaging and manipulation of matter is of crucial importance for nanoscale science and technology. However, its resolution and ability to manipulate matter at the atomic scale is limited by rather poor control over the fine structure of the probe. In the present paper, a strategy is proposed to construct a molecular nanomanipulator from ultrathin single-walled carbon nanotubes. Covalent modification of a nanotube cap at predetermined atomic sites makes the nanotube act as a support for a functional 'tooltip' molecule. Then, a small bundle of nanotubes (three or four) with aligned ends can act as an extremely high aspect ratio parallel nanomanipulator for a suspended molecule, where protraction or retraction of individual nanotubes results in controlled tilting of the tooltip in two dimensions. Together with the usual scanning probe microscopy three degrees of freedom and augmented with rotation of the system as a whole, the design offers six degrees of freedom for imaging and manipulation of matter with the precision and freedom so much needed for advanced nanotechnology. A similar design might be possible to implement with other high aspect ratio nanostructures, such as oxide nanowires.