Apatite-forming ability of titanium compound nanotube thin films formed on a titanium metal plate in a simulated body fluid

We compared the apatite-forming ability of a sodium titanate nanotube thin film, an anatase-type titanium dioxide nanotube thin film, and a silver nanoparticle/silver titanate nanotube nanocomposite thin film, in simulated body fluid. The ability of the silver nanoparticle/silver titanate nanotube nanocomposite thin film is slightly higher than that of the anatase-type titanium dioxide nanotube thin film and significantly higher than that of the sodium titanate nanotube thin film. The high ability of the silver nanoparticle/silver titanate nanotube nanocomposite thin film is a newly observed phenomenon, which is probably due to the crystal structure of silver titanate – specifically, to the surface atomic arrangement, the large amount of Ti–OH formed on the nanotube surface, or both. The anatase-type titanium dioxide nanotube thin film and the silver nanoparticle/silver titanate nanotube nanocomposite thin film may have bright prospects for future use in implant materials such as artificial joints. The silver nanoparticle/silver titanate nanotube nanocomposite thin film is particularly promising for its antibacterial properties.     

Strong correlations and Fickian water diffusion in narrow carbon nanotubes

The authors have used atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the structure and dynamics of water molecules inside an open ended carbon nanotube placed in a bath of water molecules. The size of the nanotube allows only a single file of water molecules inside the nanotube. The water molecules inside the nanotube show solidlike ordering at room temperature, which they quantify by calculating the pair correlation function. It is shown that even for the longest observation times, the mode of diffusion of the water molecules inside the nanotube is Fickian and not subdiffusive. They also propose a one-dimensional random walk model for the diffusion of the water molecules inside the nanotube. They find good agreement between the mean-square displacements calculated from the random walk model and from MD simulations, thereby confirming that the water molecules undergo normal mode diffusion inside the nanotube. They attribute this behavior to strong positional correlations that cause all the water molecules inside the nanotube to move collectively as a single object. The average residence time of the water molecules inside the nanotube is shown to scale quadratically with the nanotube length.     

Fe、N共掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列的制备及可见光光催化活性

应用电化学阳极氧化法结合浸渍和退火后处理制备了Fe和N共掺杂的TiO2纳米管阵列光催化剂,并用场发射扫描电镜(FESEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和俄歇电子能谱(AES)仪对其进行了表征.结果表明,Fe、N共掺杂对TiO2纳米管阵列的形貌和结构没有明显影响,Fe和N均掺入了TiO2晶格.紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱显示Fe和N共掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列的吸收带边较纯TiO2纳米管阵列和单一掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列红移,可见光吸收增强.以可见光催化降解罗丹明B(RhB)考察了材料的光催化活性,Fe和N共掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列对RhB的降解速率较纯TiO2纳米管阵列和单一掺杂TiO2纳米管阵列明显提高,证明了Fe、N共掺杂产生的协同效应提高了TiO2纳米管阵列在可见光照射下的光催化活性.     

Single-walled carbon nanotubes of controlled diameter and bundle size and their field emission properties

Field emission studies were conducted on as-produced CoMoCAT single-walled carbon nanotube/silica composites with controlled nanotube diameter and bundle size. It has been observed that the as-produced nanotube material does not need to be separated from the high-surface area catalyst to be an effective electron emitter. By adjusting the catalytic synthesis conditions, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) of different diameters and bundle sizes were synthesized. A detailed characterization involving Raman spectroscopy, optical absorption (vis-NIR), SEM, and TEM was conducted to identify the nanotube species present in the different samples. The synthesis reaction temperature was found to affect the nanotube diameter and bundle size in opposite ways; that is, as the synthesis temperature increased the nanotube average diameter became larger, but the bundle size became smaller. A gradual and consistent reduction in the emission onset field was observed as the synthesis temperature increased. It is suggested that the bundle size, more than the nanotube diameter or chirality, determines the field emission characteristics of these composites. This is a clear demonstration that field emission characteristics of SWNT can be controlled by the nanotube synthesis conditions.     

Formation of ice nanotube with hydrophobic guests inside carbon nanotube

A composite ice nanotube inside a carbon nanotube has been explored by molecular-dynamics and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. It is made from an octagonal ice nanotube whose hollow space contains hydrophobic guest molecules such as neon, argon, and methane. It is shown that the attractive interaction of the guest molecules stabilizes the ice nanotube. The guest occupancy of the hollow space is calculated by the same method as applied to clathrate hydrates.     

Y2O3纳米粒子/碳纳米管复合体的制备及其催化高氯酸铵热分解

采用化学液相沉淀法制备Y2O3纳米粒子/碳纳米管复合体(Y2O3/CNTC),利用扫描电镜(SEM)和X 射线光电子能谱(XPS)对其结构和成分进行了表征. 结果表明, Y2O3纳米粒子能负载在碳纳米管上,且负载效果较好. 采用差热分析研究了Y2O3/CNTC 对高氯酸铵热分解的催化性能, 结果表明, Y2O3 /CNTC 可显著降低高氯酸铵(AP)的高温分解峰温,表现出对AP 高温分解良好的催化性能. 相同量的Y2O3/CNTC 和纯Y2O3纳米粒子进行对比, Y2O3 /CNTC表现出更强的催化性能.当Y2O3/CNTC的质量分数为4%时,使AP的高温分解峰温提前131.14C[deg].     

Confinement induced conformational changes in n-alkanes sequestered within a narrow carbon nanotube

While alkanes in solution exhibit predominantly extended conformations, nanoscale confinement of these chains within protein binding sites and synthetic receptors can significantly alter the conformer distribution. As a simple model for the effect of confinement on the conformation, we report molecular simulations of n-alkanes absorbed from a bulk solvent into narrow carbon nanotubes. We observe that confinement of butane, hexane, and tetracosane induces a trans to gauche conformational redistribution. Moreover, confined hexane and tetracosane exhibit cooperative interactions between neighboring dihedral angles, which promote a helical gauche conformation for the portions of the chain within the nanotube. Hexane absorbed into the nanotube from water or benzene exhibits essentially the same conformation regardless of the bulk solvent. The PMF between the nanotube and hexane along the central nanotube axis finds that nanotube absorption is favorable from aqueous solution but neutral from benzene. The interaction between hexane and the nanotube in water is dominated by the direct interaction between the alkane and the nanotube and weakly opposed by indirect water-mediated forces. In benzene, however, the direct alkane/nanotube interaction is effectively balanced by the indirect benzene-mediated interaction. Our simulations in water stand in difference to standard interpretations of the hydrophobic effect, which posit that the attraction between non-polar species in water is driven by their mutual insolubility.     

阳极氧化TiO2纳米管阵列的制备与掺杂

近年来,TiO₂纳米管阵列的制备与应用得到了广泛的研究。阳极氧化法制备TiO₂纳米管阵列具有工艺简单、成本低廉、易于放大等优点,引起了极大关注。本文综述了阳极氧化法制备TiO₂纳米管阵列的研究现状,基于TiO₂纳米管阵列在阳极氧化过程中的生长机理,讨论了决定阳极氧化TiO₂纳米管阵列形成的主要因素。结合本组的研究工作,总结了如何通过改变电压、升压速率、电解液、温度和氧化时间,实现纳米管管径、管壁厚度、管长的有效控制,提高TiO₂纳米管阵列的表面形貌质量。最后介绍了TiO₂纳米管阵列掺杂改性方面的研究进展。     

Design of highly ordered Ag-SrTiO3 nanotube arrays for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange

Ag-SrTiO₃ nanotube arrays were successfully prepared for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under ultraviolet irradiation. In order to form highly ordered SrTiO₃ nanotube arrays, the preparation of TiO₂ nanotube arrays by anodic oxidation of titanium foil in different electrolytes was investigated. The selected organic solvents in electrolytes include glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide and glycol. The results indicate that the morphology of TiO₂ nanotube arrays prepared in glycol containing ammonium fluoride electrolyte is more regular. Then SrTiO₃ nanotube arrays were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using TiO₂ nanotube arrays as the precursor. In order to further improve the photocatalytic activity of SrTiO₃ nanotube arrays, Ag nanoparticles were loaded on SrTiO₃ nanotube arrays by two sets of experiments. The loaded Ag results in an enhancement of photocatalytic activity of SrTiO₃ nanotube arrays. Moreover, the effect of pH on the photocatalytic degradation of MO was also studied.     

碳化硼纳米线的制备和结构

以碳纳米管为模板，通过加热碳纳米管与硼粉的混合物，获得了笔直的硼碳纳米线.对纳米线的结构和成分进行研究，结果表明纳米线主要为B4C纳米线.在部分B4C纳米线的端部存在Ni颗粒，这些端部具有Ni颗粒的纳米线构成了纳米磁针.讨论了B4C纳米线的生长机制，B4C纳米线的生长主要为硼原子在碳纳米管中扩散并发生化学反应，使得碳纳米管晶格结构发生重组，形成B4C纳米线.反应后，硼原子部分取代了碳纳米管中碳原子，修补了碳纳米管中的晶格缺陷，获得了形态笔直的B4C纳米线.     

Dimensional changes as a function of charge injection in single-walled carbon nanotubes

Motivated by the central importance of charge-induced dimensional changes for carbon nanotube electromechanical actuators, we here predict changes in nanotube length and diameter as a function of charge injection for armchair and zigzag nanotubes having different diameters. Density functional theory with periodic boundary conditions is used, which we show provides results consistent with experimental observations for intercalated graphites. Strain-versus-charge relationships are predicted from dimensional changes calculated with a uniform background charge ("jellium") for representing the counterions. These jellium calculations are consistent with presented calculations that include specific counterions for intercalated graphite, showing that hybridization between the ions and the graphite sheets is unimportant. The charge-strain relationships calculated with the jellium approximation for graphite and isolated single-walled nanotubes are asymmetric with respect to the sign of charge transfer. The dependence of nanotube strain on charge approaches that for a graphite sheet for intermediate-sized metallic nanotubes and for larger diameter semiconducting nanotubes. However, the strain-charge curves strongly depend on nanotube type when the nanotube diameter is small. This reflects both the dependence of the frontier orbitals for the semiconducting nanotubes on the nanotube type and the pi-sigma mixing when the nanotube diameter is small.     

Size dependent structural and electronic properties of MgO nanotube clusters

MgO nanotube clusters which cross sections are composed of two‐, three‐, four‐, and five‐membered rings are constructed and studied by the density functional theory at B3LYP/6‐31G(d) level. The variations of bond length present anisotropic effect. Three‐membered ring nanotube cluster is the most stable tube among these MgO isomers. Mixed covalent and ionic bonding always exists in MgO nanotube clusters. With increasing length of MgO nanotube clusters, the averaged atomic charge increases, and converge to 1.227; the s‐p separation of O bands decreases; whereas energy gap nearby frontier orbitals present dramatic difference corresponding to various structure family. It is possible that MgO nanotube clusters show electronic properties of semiconductor. An interpretation for MgO nanotube clusters fabricated by simply thermal methods is proposed. The structural and electronic properties of MgO nanotube clusters are discussed systematically in details. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009     

Light‐driven atom transfer radical polymerization on supramolecular complexes of conjugated polymers and single‐walled carbon nanotubes

Previous approaches used to decorate latently reactive conjugated polymer‐coated carbon nanotube complexes have utilized “grafting‐to” strategies. Here, we coat the carbon nanotube surface with a conjugated polymer whose side chains contain the radical initiator, α‐bromoisobutyrate, which enables atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from the polymer–nanotube surface. Using light to generate Cu(I) in situ, ATRP is used to grow narrow dispersity polymer chains from the polymer–nanotube surface. We confirm the successful polymerization of (meth)acrylates from the polymer–nanotube surface using a combination of gel permeation chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. Strikingly, we demonstrate that nanotube optoelectronic properties are preserved after radical‐mediated polymer grafting using Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence mapping. Overall, this work elucidates a method to grow narrow dispersity polymer chains from the polymer–nanotube surface using light‐driven radical chemistry, with concurrent preservation of nanotube optoelectronic properties. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2015–2020     

Adsorption and diffusion of molecular nitrogen in single wall carbon nanotubes

Using molecular simulation, the adsorption and self-diffusion of diatomic nitrogen molecules inside a single wall carbon nanotube have been studied over a range of nanotube diameters (8.61-15.66 A) and loadings at temperatures of 100 and 298 K. Nitrogen adsorption energy is found to increase as the nanotube diameter is reduced toward the molecular diameter of nitrogen. A discrete organization of the nitrogen into adsorbed layers is observed at high loadings that follows a regular progression determined primarily by geometric considerations. The formation of an adsorbate core at the center of the nanotube is found to increase the self-diffusion of nitrogen. A "wormlike" phase is found for the adsorbed nitrogen in the (15, 0) carbon nanotube at high loadings and at 100 K.     

Fabrication of titania nanotube arrays on curved surface

In this paper, well-ordered titania nanotube arrays were formed on curved surface provided by titanium wire via anodic oxidation. The morphology of the nanotube arrays was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that within the range of 360°, all the growing orientations of each nanotube keep correspondence with their outer electric fields. That is to say the surface shapes of anode play an important role on morphology of nanotube arrays. Compared with foils, by changing the anode shape, higher aspect ratio can be obtained. The nanotube arrays formed on wires can provide good understanding for the formation mechanism of the nanotube arrays. Furthermore, it can stimulate new thoughts in practical applications due to its ringed shaper.     

Theoretical study on interaction of hydrogen with single-walled boron nitride nanotubes. II. Collision, storage, and adsorption

Collision and adsorption of hydrogen with high incident kinetic energies on a single-walled boron nitride (BN) nanotube have been investigated. Molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations indicate that at incident energies below 14 eV hydrogen bounces off the BN nanotube wall. On the other hand, at incident energies between 14 and 22 eV each hydrogen molecule is dissociated at the exterior wall to form two hydrogen atoms, but only one of them goes through the wall. However, at the incident energies between 23 and 26 eV all of the hydrogen atoms dissociated at the exterior wall are found to be capable of going inside the nanotube and then to recombine to form hydrogen molecules inside the nanotube. Consequently, it is determined that hydrogen should have the incident energy >22 eV to go inside the nanotube. On the other hand, we find that the collisions using the incident energies >26 eV could result in damaging the nanotube structures. In addition our MD simulations find that hydrogen atoms dissociated at the wall cannot bind to either boron or nitrogen atoms in the interior wall of the nanotube.     

Fabrication of multi-sectional TiO_2 nanotube arrays by anodization

We report a facile method to grow multi-sectional TiO2 nanotube arrays consisting of alternating bamboo-shaped and smooth-walled nanotube sections by anodization.Two key factors are necessary for obtaining these morphologies.First,in order to avoid possible disruptions between the conjoint sections of the nanotube,the distribution of hydrogen ions is suggested not to be fiercely disturbed when switching from the first to the second stage.Second,to avoid the disruption of the nanotube at the joint which resu...     

Coaxial carbon nanotubes as shielded nanowires

We report transverse polarizabilities of coaxial carbon nanotubes using first principles density functional theory. These results demonstrate a shielding of the inner nanotube from electric fields by the outer nanotube. This study has implications for nanoelectronics, specifically for the possibility of using coaxial nanotubes as nanoelectrical wires. Shielding is predicted to be on the order of 95% by high-level polarizability calculations. This shielding occurs regardless of whether the outer nanotube is metallic or semiconducting. In addition, a series of calculations on coaxial nanotubes where the inner nanotube is not centered show that the shielding still occurs with approximately the same magnitude. These calculations therefore indicate that it would be possible to use a coaxial carbon nanotube as a shielded nanowire.     

TiO2纳米管阵列制备及其电化学嵌锂性能研究

本文研究了TiO2纳米管阵列制备及其嵌锂电化学性能.采用阳极氧化法制备了TiO2纳米管阵列.利用XRD、SEM、恒电流充放电、CV、EIS等手段.对所制备TiO2纳米管阵列的结构、形貌进行了分析表征及电化学性能测试.实验结果表明,制备出的TiO2纳米管阵列薄膜具有很好的循环性能.首次嵌锂容量达73.3 μAh·cm-2...     

RGO-TiO2纳米管阵列的制备及其光电性能

采用阳极氧化的方法,通过调节阴、阳两电极间距制备不同壁厚的TiO₂纳米管阵列. 采用脉冲电还原沉积的方法将RGO负载于TiO₂纳米管阵列表面合成了RGO-TiO₂纳米管阵列. 相较于负载在薄壁TiO₂纳米管阵列上的RGO,负载于厚壁TiO₂纳米管阵列上的RGO得以充分还原,覆盖率大幅度提高,并显示出良好的光吸收性质和较低的电荷传输电阻,光电流大幅度增加.