CO2 adsorption by nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes predicted by density-functional theory with dispersion-correcting potentials

The interaction of CO(2) to the interior and exterior walls of pristine and nitrogen-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) has been studied using density-functional theory with dispersion-correcting potentials (DCPs). Our calculations predict Gibbs energies of binding between SWNT and CO(2) of up to 9.1 kcal mol(-1), with strongest binding observed for a zigzag [10,0] nanotube, compared to armchair [6,6] (8.3 kcal mol(-1)) and chiral [8,4] (7.0 kcal mol(-1)). Doping of the [10,0] tube with nitrogen increases the Gibbs energies of binding of CO(2) by ca. 3 kcal mol(-1), but slightly reduced binding is found when [6,6] and [8,4] SWNT are doped in similar fashion. The Gibbs energy of binding of CO(2) to the exterior of the tubes is quite small compared to the binding that occurs inside the tubes. These findings suggest that the zigzag SWNT show greater promise as a means of CO(2) gas-capture.     

Cutting of single-walled carbon nanotubes by ozonolysis

Cutting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) has been achieved by extensive ozonolysis at room temperature. Perfluoropolyether (PFPE) was selected as a medium for cutting SWNT due to its high solubility for ozone (O3). A mixture of 9 wt % of O3 in O2 was bubbled through a homogeneous suspension of pristine SWNT in PFPE, at room temperature. The intense disorder mode in the Raman spectra of ozonated SWNT indicates that extensive reaction with the sidewalls of SWNT occurs during ozonolysis. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of SWNT, before and after ozonolysis, provided a measure of the extent of the cutting effects. Monitoring of the evolved gases for both pristine and purified SWNT indicates CO2 was produced during the ozonolysis process with a dependence on both system pressure and temperature. During heating, FTIR analysis of gases released indicated that carbon oxygen groups on the sidewalls of SWNT are released as CO2. SWNT was found to be extensively cut after an ozone treatment with a yield of approximately 80% of the original carbon.     

SWNT Nucleation from Carbon-Coated SiO(2) Nanoparticles via a Vapor-Solid-Solid Mechanism

Since the discovery of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in the early 1990s, the most commonly accepted model of SWNT growth on traditional catalysts (i.e., transition metals including Fe, Co, Ni, etc.) is the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. In more recent years, the synthesis of SWNTs on nontraditional catalysts, such as SiO(2), has also been reported. The precise atomistic mechanism explaining SWNT growth on nontraditional catalysts, however, remains unknown. In this work, CH(4) chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) nucleation on SiO(2) nanoparticles have been investigated using quantum-chemical molecular dynamics (QM/MD) methods. Upon supply of CH(x) species to the surface of a model SiO(2) nanoparticle, CO was produced as the main chemical product of the CH(4) CVD process, in agreement with a recent experimental investigation [Bachmatiuk et al., ACS Nano 2009, 3, 4098]. The production of CO occurred simultaneously with the carbothermal reduction of the SiO(2) nanoparticle. However, this reduction, and the formation of amorphous SiC, was restricted to the nanoparticle surface, with the core of the SiO(2) nanoparticle remaining oxygen-rich. In cases of high carbon concentration, SWNT nucleation then followed, and was driven by the formation of isolated sp(2)-carbon networks via the gradual coalescence of adjacent polyyne chains. These simulations indicate that the carbon saturation of the SiO(2) surface was a necessary prerequisite for SWNT nucleation. These simulations also indicate that a vapor-solid-solid mechanism, rather than a VLS mechanism, is responsible for SWNT nucleation on SiO(2). Fundamental differences between SWNT nucleation on nontraditional and traditional catalysts are therefore observed.     

Vibrational behavior of adsorbed CO2 on single-walled carbon nanotubes

We present theoretical and experimental evidence for CO(2) adsorption on different sites of single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles. We use local density approximation density functional theory (LDA-DFT) calculations to compute the adsorption energies and vibrational frequencies for CO(2) adsorbed on SWNT bundles. The LDA-DFT calculations give a range of shifts for the asymmetric stretching mode from about -6 to -20 cm(-1) for internally bound CO(2), and a range from -4 to -16 cm(-1) for externally bound CO(2) at low densities. The magnitude of the shift is larger for CO(2) adsorbed parallel to the SWNT surface; various perpendicular configurations yield much smaller theoretical shifts. The asymmetric stretching mode for CO(2) adsorbed in groove sites and interstitial sites exhibits calculated shifts of -22.2 and -23.8 cm(-1), respectively. The calculations show that vibrational mode softening is due to three effects: (1) dynamic image charges in the nanotube; (2) the confining effect of the adsorption potential; (3) dynamic dipole coupling with other adsorbate molecules. Infrared measurements indicate that two families of CO(2) adsorption sites are present. One family, exhibiting a shift of about -20 cm(-1) is assigned to internally bound CO(2) molecules in a parallel configuration. This type of CO(2) is readily displaced by Xe, a test for densely populated adsorbed species, which are expected to be present on the highest adsorption energy sites in the interior of the nanotubes. The second family exhibits a shift of about -7 cm(-1) and the site location and configuration for these species is ambiguous, based on comparison with the theoretical shifts. The population of the internally bound CO(2) may be enhanced by established etching procedures that open the entry ports for adsorption, namely, ozone oxidation followed by annealing in vacuum at 873 K. Xenon displacement experiments indicate that internally bound CO(2) is preferentially displaced relative to the -7 cm(-1) shifted species. The -7 cm(-1) shifted species is assigned to CO(2) adsorbed on the external surface based on results from etching and Xe displacement experiments.     

Controlled confinement and release of gases in single-walled carbon nanotube bundles

A simple procedure is described that locks small quantities of SF6, CO2, and 13CO2 into opened single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles and keeps the gas in the SWNTs above the desorption temperature of these molecules. The technique involves opening the SWNTs with ozonolysis at 300 K followed by vacuum-annealing at 700 K. Gases are then cryogenically adsorbed into the opened SWNTs and locked into the SWNT pores by functionalizing the sample with a low-temperature ozone treatment. The low-temperature ozone treatment functionalizes the entry ports into the SWNT pores, which in turn create a physical barrier for gases trying to desorb through these functionalized ports. The samples are stable under vacuum for periods of at least 24 h, and the trapped gases can be released by vacuum-heating to 700 K. Reduced quantities of the trapped gases remain in the SWNTs even after exposure to room air. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to monitor the functionalities resulting from the ozone treatment and to detect the trapped gas species.     

Proximity-induced superconductivity in carbon nanotubes

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are model systems for the study of electronic transport in one-dimensional conductors. They are expected to exhibit strong electronic correlations and non-Fermi liquid behavior as suggested by recent experiments. The possibility to induce supercurrents through such molecular wires is a challenging question both for experimentalists and theoreticians. In this paper we show experimental evidence of induced superconductivity in a SWNT. This proximity effect is observed in a single 1 nm diameter SWNT, in individual cristalline ropes containing about 100 nanotubes and also on multiwalled tubes. These samples are suspended as strings between two superconducting electrodes (double layer Au-Re, Au-Ta or Sn film) at a distance varying between 100 and 2 000 nm. This allows their structural study in a transmission electron microscope. When their resistance is low enough, SWNT become superconducting with surprisingly high critical currents (in the micro-Ampere range for a single tube of normal state resistance 25 kΩ). This critical current, extensively studied as function of temperature and magnetic field, exhibits unusual features which are not observed in conventional Superconducting-Normal-Superconducting junctions and can be related to the strong 1D character of these samples. We also show evidence of a huge sensitivity of dc transport properties of the tubes to electromagnetic radiation in the radio-frequency range.     

An infiltration method for preparing single‐wall nanotube/epoxy composites with improved thermal conductivity

Recent studies of SWNT/polymer nanocomposites identify the large interfacial thermal resistance at nanotube/nanotube junctions as a primary cause for the only modest increases in thermal conductivity relative to the polymer matrix. To reduce this interfacial thermal resistance, we prepared a freestanding nanotube framework by removing the polymer matrix from a 1 wt % SWNT/PMMA composite by nitrogen gasification and then infiltrated it with epoxy resin and cured. The SWNT/epoxy composite made by this infiltration method has a micron‐scale, bicontinuous morphology and much improved thermal conductivity (220% relative to epoxy) due to the more effective heat transfer within the nanotube‐rich phase. By applying a linear mixing rule to the bicontinuous composite, we conclude that even at high loadings the nanotube framework more effectively transports phonons than well‐dispersed SWNT bundles. Contrary to the widely accepted approaches, these findings suggest that better thermal and electrical conductivities can be accomplished via heterogeneous distributions of SWNT in polymer matrices. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1513–1519, 2006     

Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Based Molecular Switch Tunnel Junctions

This article describes two‐terminal molecular switch tunnel junctions (MSTJs) which incorporate a semiconducting, single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) as the bottom electrode. The nanotube interacts noncovalently with a monolayer of bistable, nondegenerate [2]catenane tetracations, self‐organized by their supporting amphiphilic dimyristoylphosphatidyl anions which shield the mechanically switchable tetracations from a two‐micrometer wide metallic top electrode. The resulting 0.002 μm² area tunnel junction addresses a nanometer wide row of ≈2000 molecules. Active and remnant current–voltage measurements demonstrated that these devices can be reconfigurably switched and repeatedly cycled between high and low current states under ambient conditions. Control compounds, including a degenerate [2]catenane, were explored in support of the mechanical origin of the switching signature. These SWNT‐based MSTJs operate like previously reported silicon‐based MSTJs, but differently from similar devices incorporating bottom metal electrodes. The relevance of these results with respect to the choice of electrode materials for molecular electronics devices is discussed.     

Simulation of adsorption of DNA on carbon nanotubes

We report molecular dynamics simulations of DNA adsorption on a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) in an aqueous environment. We have modeled a DNA segment with 12 base pairs (Dickerson dodecamer) and a (8,8) SWNT in water, with counterions to maintain total charge neutrality. Simulations show that DNA binds to the external surface of an uncharged or positively charged SWNT on a time scale of a few hundred picoseconds. The hydrophobic end groups of DNA are attracted to the hydrophobic SWNT surface of uncharged SWNTs, while the hydrophilic backbone of DNA does not bind to the uncharged SWNT. The binding mode of DNA to charged SWNTs is qualitatively different from uncharged SWNTs. The phosphodiester groups of the DNA backbone are attracted to a positively charged SWNT surface while DNA does not adsorb on negatively charged SWNTs. There is no evidence for canonical double-stranded DNA wrapping around either charged or uncharged SWNTs on the very short time scales of the simulations. The adsorption process appears to have negligible effect on the internal stacking structure of the DNA molecule but significantly affects the A to B form conversion of A-DNA. The adsorption of A-DNA onto an uncharged SWNT inhibits the complete relaxation of A-DNA to B-DNA within the time scale of the simulations. In contrast, binding of the A-DNA onto a positively charged SWNT may promote slightly the A to B conversion.     

A new interpretation of the IR bands of supported Rh(I) monocarbonyl complexes

The characteristic CO vibrational frequency of supported monocarbonyl complexes Rh(I)CO, at 2014 and 1984 cm(-1) on dealuminated Y zeolite and alumina, respectively, is lower than the frequencies of both the symmetric and the antisymmetric CO normal modes of the corresponding stable supported Rh(I) dicarbonyls. The CO mode with a measured frequency between those of the symmetric and antisymmetric CO frequencies of the dicarbonyls, previously assigned to rhodium monocarbonyl, is reassigned to mixed carbonyl dihydrogen complexes Rh(H(2))(CO) or Rh(H)(2)(CO). This reassignment is based on a critical analysis of reported experimental data, supplemented by quantum chemical calculations.     

Reversible dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes based on a CO2-responsive dispersant

A CO(2)-responsive dispersant, N,N-dimethyl-N'-(pyren-1-ylmethyl) acetimidamidinium (PyAH(+)), which bears both a pyrene moiety and an amidinium cation, has been successfully synthesized. Through strong π-π interaction between the pyrene moiety and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), we have demonstrated that PyAH(+) can be modified onto SWNT surfaces to promote the dispersion of SWNTs in water. Furthermore, taking advantage of gas triggered interconversions between the amidinium cation and amidine, reversible control on the solubility of SWNTs has been achieved simply through alternated bubbling of CO(2) and Ar. This work has demonstrated a new method for controlled dispersion and aggregation of SWNTs, and it may contribute to the development of gas responsive carbon materials.     

Gas sensor array based on metal-decorated carbon nanotubes

Here we demonstrate design, fabrication, and testing of electronic sensor array based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Multiple sensor elements consisting of isolated networks of SWNTs were integrated into Si chips by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and photolithography processes. For chemical selectivity, SWNTs were decorated with metal nanoparticles. The differences in catalytic activity of 18 catalytic metals for detection of H(2), CH(4), CO, and H(2)S gases were observed. Furthermore, a sensor array was fabricated by site-selective electroplating of Pd, Pt, Rh, and Au metals on isolated SWNT networks located on a single chip. The resulting electronic sensor array, which was comprised of several functional SWNT network sensors, was exposed to a randomized series of toxic/combustible gases. Electronic responses of all sensor elements were recorded and the sensor array data was analyzed using pattern-recognition analysis tools. Applications of these small-size, low-power, electronic sensor arrays are in the detection and identification of toxic/combustible gases for personal safety and air pollution monitoring.     

Polymer brushes on single-walled carbon nanotubes by atom transfer radical polymerization of n-butyl methacrylate

Polymer brushes with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) as backbones were synthesized by grafting n-butyl methacrylate (nBMA) from the ends and sidewalls of SWNT via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Carboxylic acid groups on SWNT were formed by nitric acid oxidation. The ATRP initiators were covalently attached to the SWNT by esterification of 2-hydroxyethyl 2'-bromopropionate with carboxylic acid groups. Methyl 2-bromopropionate (MBP) was added as free initiator during the brush preparation to control growth of the brushes and to monitor the polymerization kinetics. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) results show that the molecular weight of free poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA) increased linearly with nBMA monomer conversion. PnBMA cleaved from the SWNT after high conversion had the same molecular weight as PnBMA produced in solution. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) show that the amount of PnBMA grown from the SWNT increased linearly with the molecular weight of the free PnBMA. The most highly PnBMA-functionalized SWNT dissolve in 1,2-dichlorobenzene, chloroform, and tetrahydrofuran, and solubility increases with the amount of PnBMA bound to SWNT. Near-infrared and Raman spectra indicate that the side walls of the SWNT were lightly functionalized by the nitric acid treatment and that the degree of functionalization of the SWNT did not change significantly during the formation of initiator or during the polymerization. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show contour lengths of the SWNT brushes on a mica surface from 200 nm to 2.0 microm and an average height of the backbone of 2-3 nm, indicating that the bundles of original SWNT were broken into individual tubes by functionalization and polymerization.     

Transformation of ionic liquid into carbon nanotubes in confined nanospace

We have developed a two-step filling process for the nano-reaction of ionic liquid in a tip-closed SWNT, where fullerenes are inserted at the end of the host SWNT as a plug to prevent the leakage of the confined ionic liquid during heat treatment.     

Thermal annealing of SiC nanoparticles induces SWNT nucleation: evidence for a catalyst-independent VSS mechanism

Density-functional tight-binding molecular dynamics (DFTB/MD) methods were employed to demonstrate single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) nucleation resulting from thermal annealing of SiC nanoparticles. SWNT nucleation in this case is preceded by a change of the SiC structure from a crystalline one, to one in which silicon and carbon are segregated. This structural transformation ultimately resulted in the formation of extended polyyne chains on the SiC nanoparticle surface. These polyyne chains subsequently coalesced, forming an extended sp(2)-hybridized carbon cap on the SiC nanoparticle. The kinetics of this process were enhanced significantly at higher temperatures (2500 K), compared to lower temperatures (1200 K) and so directly correlated to the surface premelting behavior of the nanoparticle structure. Analysis of the SiC nanoparticle Lindemann index between 1000 and 3000 K indicated that SWNT nucleation at temperatures below 2600 K occurred in the solid, or quasi-solid, phase. Thus, the traditional vapor-liquid-solid mechanism of SWNT growth does not apply in the case of SiC nanoparticles. Instead, we propose that this example of SWNT nucleation constitutes evidence of a vapor-solid-solid process. This conclusion complements our recent observations regarding SWNT nucleation on SiO(2) nanoparticles (A. J. Page, K. R. S. Chandrakumar, S. Irle and K. Morokuma, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133, 621-628). In addition, similarities between the atomistic SWNT nucleation mechanisms on SiC and SiO(2) catalysts provide the first evidence of a catalyst-independent SWNT nucleation mechanism with respect to 'non-traditional' SWNT catalyst species.     

Interactions in single wall carbon nanotubes/pyrene/porphyrin nanohybrids

This work provides an in-depth look at a range of physicochemical aspects of (i) single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT), (ii) pyrene derivatives (pyrene(+)), (iii) porphyrin derivatives (ZnP(8)()(-)() and H(2)()P(8)()(-)()), (iv) poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), and (v) their combinations. Implicit in their supramolecular combinations is the hierarchical integration of SWNT (as electron acceptors), together with ZnP(8)()(-)() or H(2)()P(8)()(-)() (as electron donors), in an aqueous environment mediated through pyrene(+). This supramolecular approach yields novel electron donor-acceptor nanohybrids (SWNT/pyrene(+)/ZnP(8)()(-)() or SWNT/pyrene(+)/H(2)()P(8)()(-)()). In particular, we report on electrochemical and photophysical investigations that as a whole suggest sizeable and appreciable interactions between the individual components. The key step to form SWNT/pyrene(+)()/ZnP(8)()(-)() or SWNT/pyrene(+)()/H(2)()P(8)()(-)() hybrids is pi-pi interactions between SWNT and pyrene(+), for which we have developed for the first time a sensitive marker. The marker is the monomeric pyrene fluorescence, which although quenched is (i) only present in SWNT/pyrene(+) and (ii) completely lacking in just pyrene(+). Electrostatic interactions help to immobilize ZnP(8)()(-)() or H(2)()P(8)()(-)() onto SWNT/pyrene(+) to yield the final electron donor-acceptor nanohybrids. A series of photochemical experiments confirm that long-lived radical ion pairs are formed as a product of a rapid excited-state deactivation of ZnP(8)()(-)() or H(2)()P(8)()(-)(). This formation is fully rationalized on the basis of the properties of the individual moieties. Additional modeling shows that the data are likely to be relevant to the SWNTs present in the sample, which possess wider diameters.     

单层碳纳米管的化学修饰

单层碳纳米管 (SWNT)是 Iijima博士 [1]于 1 993年首次发现的 .它具有非常独特的物理和化学性质 ,因而成为近年来研究的热点问题 .随着单层碳纳米管的合成技术和纯化研究的不断完善 [2～ 5] ,关于它的研究方向开始转向化学反应和应用研究 .由于单层碳纳米管不溶于水或有机溶剂而限制了对其化学性质的研究 .单层碳纳米管的端头是由碳的五元环和六元环组成的半球形 .氧化作用可将该端头打开并转化为羧基 ,从而与其它的化学试剂发生反应 .Liu Jie等 [6] 用浓硫酸和浓硝酸的混合物氧化单层碳纳米管 ,将之裁剪成 1 50～ 80 0 nm的“短管”.在…     

High resolution infrared spectroscopy of carbon dioxide clusters up to (CO2)13

Thirteen specific infrared bands in the 2350 cm(-1) region are assigned to carbon dioxide clusters, (CO(2))(N), with N = 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. The spectra are observed in direct absorption using a tuneable infrared laser to probe a pulsed supersonic jet expansion of a dilute mixture of CO(2) in He carrier gas. Assignments are aided by cluster structure calculations made using two reliable CO(2) intermolecular potential functions. For (CO(2))(6), two highly symmetric isomers are observed, one with S(6) symmetry (probably the more stable form), and the other with S(4) symmetry. (CO(2))(13) is also symmetric (S(6)), but the remaining clusters are asymmetric tops with no symmetry elements. The observed rotational constants tend to be slightly (≈2%) smaller than those from the predicted structures. The bands have increasing vibrational blueshifts with increasing cluster size, similar to those predicted by the resonant dipole-dipole interaction model but significantly larger in magnitude.     

Single wall carbon nanotube amplification: en route to a type-specific growth mechanism

With the desire to mass produce any specific n,m type of single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) from a small sample of the same material, we disclose here the preliminary work directed toward that goal. The ultimate protocol would involve taking a single n,m-type nanotube sample, cutting the nanotubes in that sample into many short nanotubes, using each of those short nanotubes as a template for growing much longer nanotubes of the same type, and then repeating the process. The result would be an amplification of the original tube type: a parent SWNT serving as the prolific progenitor of future identical SWNT types. As a proof-of-concept, we use here a short SWNT seed as a template for vapor liquid solid (VLS) amplification growth of an individual long SWNT. The original short SWNT seed was a polymer-wrapped SWNT, end-carboxylated, and further tethered with Fe salts at its ends. The Fe salts were to act as the growth catalysts upon subsequent reductive activation. Deposition of the short SWNT-Fe tipped species upon an oxide surface was followed by heating in air to consume the polymer wrappers, then reducing the Fe salts to Fe(0) under a H2-rich atmosphere. During this heating, the Fe(0) can etch back into the short SWNT so that the short SWNT acts as a template for new growth to a long SWNT that occurs upon introduction of C2H4 as a carbon source. Analysis indicated that the templated VLS-grown long SWNT had the same diameter and surface orientation as the original short SWNT seed, although amplifying the original n,m type remains to be proven. This study could pave the way for an amplified growth process of SWNTs en route to any n,m tube type synthesis from a starting sample of pure nanotubes.     

聚苯乙烯修饰碳纳米管表面的研究

利用原子转移自由基聚合方法合成了端基具有一个卤素的聚苯乙烯, 并通过叠氮化反应得到端基为叠氮基团的聚苯乙烯. 利用叠氮基与单壁或复壁碳纳米管的反应， 将聚苯乙烯接到碳纳米管的表面上, 实现了碳纳米管的化学修饰. 通过FTIR, XPS, TEM, UV和Raman光谱等技术证明了聚苯乙烯以共价键形式结合到碳纳米管表面上. 利用TGA估算出连接在碳纳米管上的聚苯乙烯的含量, 并推测出复壁碳纳米管中较多的结构缺陷更有利于聚合物的接枝.