Aligned Nanotubes

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes by Iijima in 1991, various carbon nanotubes with either a single‐ or multilayered graphene cylinder(s) have been produced, along with their noncarbon counterparts (for example, inorganic and polymer nanotubes). These nanostructured materials often possess size‐dependent properties and show new phenomena related to the nanosize confinement of the charge carriers inside, which leads to the possibility of developing new materials with useful properties and advanced devices with desirable features for a wide range of applications. In particular, carbon nanotubes have been shown to exhibit superior properties attractive for various potential applications, ranging from their use as novel electron emitters in flat‐panel displays to electrodes in electrochemical sensors. For many of the applications, it is highly desirable to have aligned/patterned forms of carbon nanotubes so that their structure/property can be easily assessed and so that they can be effectively incorporated into devices. In this Review, we present an overview on the development of aligned and micropatterned nanotubes, with an emphasis on carbon nanotubes.     

Manifestation of electrode surface states in molecular conduction

We present a conduction mechanism across molecular junctions which derives from conductance resonances that are not associated with particular molecular orbitals. Instead, the resonances are induced by states localized at the surface of the electrodes. To this end, we studied the conductance of a C₆₀ molecule bridging two carbon nanotubes. A simple tight-binding model is employed to investigate analytically the basic features of the effect.     

Increasing efficiency of photoelectronic conversion by encapsulation of photosynthetic reaction center proteins in arrayed carbon nanotube electrode

The construction of efficient light energy converting (photovoltaic and photoelectronic) devices is a current and great challenge in science and technology and one that will have important economic consequences. Here we show that the efficiency of these devices can be improved by the utilization of a new type of nano-organized material having photosynthetic reaction center proteins encapsulated inside carbon nanotube arrayed electrodes. In this work, a generically engineered bacterial photosynthetic reaction center protein with specifically synthesized organic molecular linkers were encapsulated inside carbon nanotubes and bound to the inner tube walls in unidirectional orientation. The results show that the photosynthetic proteins encapsulated inside carbon nanotubes are photochemically active and exhibit considerable improvement in the rate of electron transfer and the photocurrent density compared to the material constructed from the same components in traditional lamella configuration.     

Spectroscopic Characteristics of Differently Produced Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) synthesized with different methods are investigated by using multiple characterization techniques, including Raman scattering, optical absorption, and X‐ray absorption near edge structure, along with X‐ray photoemission by following the total valence bands and C 1s core‐level spectra. Four different SWNT materials (produced by arc discharge, HiPco, laser ablation, and CoMoCat methods) contain nanotubes with diameters ranging from 0.7 to 2.8 nm. The diameter distribution and the composition of metallic and semiconducting tubes of the SWNT materials are strongly affected by the synthesis method. Similar sp² hybridization of carbon in the oxygenated SWNT structure can be found, but different surface functionalities are introduced while the tubes are processed. All the SWNTs demonstrate stronger plasmon resonance excitations and lower electron binding energy than graphite and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. These SWNT materials also exhibit different valence‐band X‐ray photoemission features, which are considerably affected by the nanotube diameter distribution and metallic/semiconducting composition.     

碳纳米管的功能化及其电化学性能

超级电容器作为一种新型的储能元件,以其快速储存、释放能量等优点,近年来成为各国科研工作的研究重点和焦点[1￣3],并在数据记忆存储系统、便携式仪器设备、后备电源、通讯设备、计算机、燃料电池、电动车混合电源等许多领域都有广泛的应用前景[4]。目前,超级电容器用的电极材     

Effect of single-wall carbon nanotubes on the properties of polymeric gel electrolyte dye-sensitized solar cells

A hybrid of polymer/dispersed single-wall carbon nanotubes was utilized in networking a novel composition of gel electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells. The gel is composed of polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, single-wall carbon nanotubes, and I^?/I₃ ^? as electrolyte. Formation of the less conductive polyiodide species in electrolyte was prohibited by the addition of single-wall carbon nanotubes leading to the excellent photovoltaic behavior of the cell under simulated standard illumination of the fabricated device owing to the increased open circuit voltage (0.47 V). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was employed to quantify the charge transport resistance and the electron lifetime at the TiO₂ conduction band. Charge transport resistances at the TiO₂/dye/electrolyte interface were determined for the cells consisting of the non-gel reference and our new gel electrolytes, and it was indicated that the charge recombination between injected electrons and electron acceptors (I₃ ^?) in the redox electrolyte was remarkably retarded. Electrochemical parameters obtained by the fitting showed all of the resistances increased as compared to liquid electrolyte dye-sensitized solar cells that can be related to the increase in viscosity of the gel, which hinders the ionic transportation through the electrolyte. These results were also confirmed by the electron lifetime analyses. The characteristic peak shifted to a lower frequency in the Bode phase plot for the cell containing gel electrolyte which is an indication of a longer electron lifetime in comparison with that of the cell containing very conventional liquid electrolyte.     

Optical Band Gap Energies in Quasi-Metal Carbon Nanotubes

The structure of carbon nanotubes is described by two positive integers (n₁, n₂). The π-electron model of the nanotube band structure predicts that when the difference n₁–n₂ is multiple of three, the energy gap between the valence and conduction bands vanishes so that such tubes should exhibit quasi-metal properties. The band structure of 50 chiral and achiral (n₁, n₂) nanotubes with 4 ≤ n₁ ≤ 18 and n₂ = n₁–3q has been calculated by the linearized augmented cylindrical wave method. Nanotubes have been identified for which the optical band gaps are in the terahertz range (1–40 meV) and which can be used for design of emitters, detectors, multipliers, antennas, transistors, and other nanoelements operating in the high-frequency range.     

Possible flat-band ferromagnetism in an organic polymer

Motivated from the flat-band form magnetism conceived in the physics of correlated electrons; we predict that a polymer of five-membered rings can exhibit band (i.e. itinerant) ferromagnetism. We have first identified that the right material having a flat one-electron dispersion should be polyaminotriazole, for which we have performed a generalized gradient approximation (GGA) calculation based on the spin density functional. The result shows that the ground state is indeed ferromagnetic when the flat band is made half-filled. From the structural optimization, we also show that the magnetism overcomes the Peierls instability, unlike conjugated polymers such as polyacetylene. We have also confirmed that the mechanism for the ferromagnetism is the flat-band ferromagnetism by comparing the first-principles wavefunction with those in the Hubbard model. Possibility of the bulk ferromagnetism for the three dimensional polyaminotriazole crystal with chemical carrier doping is also discussed.     

Nanoporous Carbon Tubes from Fullerene Crystals as the π‐Electron Carbon Source

Here we report the thermal conversion of one‐dimensional (1D) fullerene (C₆₀) single‐crystal nanorods and nanotubes to nanoporous carbon materials with retention of the initial 1D morphology. The 1D C₆₀ crystals are heated directly at very high temperature (up to 2000 °C) in vacuum, yielding a new family of nanoporous carbons having π‐electron conjugation within the sp²‐carbon robust frameworks. These new nanoporous carbon materials show excellent electrochemical capacitance and superior sensing properties for aromatic compounds compared to commercial activated carbons.     

Synthesis and characterization of N-doped zinc oxide nanotetrapods

Nitrogen-doped (N-doped) self-assembled nanotetrapods ZnO were synthesized via chemical vapor deposition process using N₂O as a dopant source via vapor-solid (VS) growth. The decomposition of N₂O gas giving NO and NO₂ during the synthesis provided successful N-doping of the sample. All samples (N-doped and undoped) were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, photoluminescence (PL), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and diffuse reflection spectra. After nitrogen-doping process, N-doped ZnO samples show the change in structural and optical properties. The detailed structure and the growth mechanism of individual ZnO tetrapod is characterized by TEM and SEM investigations. The TEM study gives the direct assumption about the formation of zincblende (sphalerite) structure on the initial stage of growth of N-doped tetrapods. Besides, SEM observation indicated that tetrapods have perfect tetrahedral symmetry. N-Doped ZnO samples exhibit a broad orange-red PL emission band, peaking near 2.1 eV, in good agreement with the deep-acceptor model for the nitrogen impurity. An IR absorption peak at 3146 cm^–1 at room temperature was observed for N-doped sample. This peak has been unambiguously assigned to N–H complex.     

Linear augmented cylindrical wave Green’s function method for perfect nanotubes and nanotubes with regular and point impurities

Nanotubes are giant cage molecules looking like closed hollow cylindrical shells. This review deals with basic principles of the linear augmented cylindrical Green’s function method and its applications to calculation of the electronic structure of perfect nanotubes and those containing substitutional impurities. A major argument for using cylindrical waves to describe nanotubes is that such a choice of the basis set makes it possible to explicitly consider the actual cylindrical geometry of nanotubes, which, in particular, ensures rapid convergence of iterative procedures. A computation technique has been described and the results of calculations of the band structure and densities of states of carbon and boron nitride nanotubes have been reported. Special attention has been paid to the changes in the electronic properties of nanotubes induced by the substitution of nitrogen, boron, or oxygen for C atoms in the carbon nanotubes, as well as to the isoelectronic substitution of P, Sb, or As for the nitrogen and of Al, In, or Ga for the boron in boron nitride nanotubes.     

Hybrid Platforms of Silicon Nanowires and Carbon Nanotubes in an Ionic Liquid Bucky Gel

Silicon nanowires (NWs) are appealing building blocks for low-cost novel concept devices with improved performances. In this research paper, we realized a hybrid platform combining an array of vertically oriented Si NWs with different types of bucky gels, obtained from carbon nanotubes (CNT) dispersed into an ionic liquid (IL) matrix. Three types of CNT bucky gels were obtained from imidazolium-based ionic liquids (BMIM-I, BIMI-BF₄, and BMIM-Tf₂N) and semiconductive CNTs, whose structural and optical responses to the hybrid platforms were analyzed and compared. We investigated the electrical response of the IL-CNT/NW hybrid junctions in dark and under illumination for each platform and its correlation to the ionic liquid characteristics and charge mobility. The reported results confirm the attractiveness of such IL-CNT/NW hybrid platforms as novel light-responsive materials for photovoltaic applications. In particular, our best performing cell reported a short-circuit current density of 5.6 mA/cm² and an open-circuit voltage of 0.53 V.     

Diboraperylene Diborinic Acid Self-Assembly on Ag(111)—Kagome Flat Band Localized States Imaged by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy

Replacement of sp²-hybridized carbon in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by boron affords electron-deficient π-scaffolds due to the vacant p_z-orbital of three-coordinate boron with the potential for pronounced electronic interactions with electron-rich metal surfaces. Using a diboraperylene diborinic acid derivative as precursor and a controlled on-surface non-covalent synthesis approach, we report on a self-assembled chiral supramolecular kagome network on an Ag(111) surface stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions at low temperature. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) reveal a flat band at ca. 0.33 eV above the Fermi level which is localized at the molecule center, in good agreement with tight-binding model calculations of flat bands characteristic for kagome lattices.     

Efficient synthesis of carbon nanotubes with improved surface area by low-temperature solvothermal route from dichlorobenzene

The synthesis of well-aggregated carbon nanotubes in the form of bundles was achieved by the catalytic reduction of 1,2-dichlorobenzene by a solvothermal approach. The use of 1,2-dichlorobenzene as a carbon source yielded a comparably good percentage of carbon nanotubes in the range of 60–70 %, at a low reaction temperature of 200°C. The products obtained were analysed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The X-ray diffraction studies implied the presence of pure, crystalline, and well-ordered carbon nanotubes. The scanning electron and transmission electron microscopic images revealed the surface morphology, dimensions and the bundled form of the tubes. These micrographs showed the presence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with an outer diameter of 30–55 nm, inner diameter of 15–30 nm, and lengths of several hundreds of nanometers. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-based N₂ gas adsorption studies were performed to determine the surface area and pore volume of the carbon nanotubes. These carbon nanotubes exhibit a better surface area of 385.30 m² g^?1. In addition, the effects of heating temperature, heating time, amount of catalyst and amount of carbon source on the product yield were investigated.     

Diamond Nanowires: Fabrication,Structure, Properties,and Applications

C(sp³)? C‐bonded diamond nanowires are wide band gap semiconductors that exhibit a combination of superior properties such as negative electron affinity, chemical inertness, high Young’s modulus, the highest hardness, and room‐temperature thermal conductivity. The creation of 1D diamond nanowires with their giant surface‐to‐volume ratio enhancements makes it possible to control and enhance the fundamental properties of diamond. Although theoretical comparisons with carbon nanotubes have shown that diamond nanowires are energetically and mechanically viable structures, reproducibly synthesizing the crystalline diamond nanowires has remained challenging. We present a comprehensive, up‐to‐date review of diamond nanowires, including a discussion of their synthesis along with their structures, properties, and applications.     

Graphane Nanostripes

Graphane, the hydrogenated counterpart of graphene, was shown to exhibit properties such as tunable band gaps through varied degrees of hydrogenation, fluorescence, or ferromagnetism. Graphane nanostripe properties have also been theoretically predicted. Herein, we show that graphane nanostripes can be prepared by opening carbon nanotubes using Birch reduction in liquid ammonia utilizing potassium as a reducing agent and water as a proton donor. The prepared graphane nanostripes exhibit several exceptional properties when coupled with trace metal dopants. The interplay of metallic nanoparticles and defects lead to a spin polarization and induction of ferromagnetic moment, as well as to enhanced electrocatalytic properties in the hydrogen evolution reaction when compared to non‐hydrogenated carbon nanotubes.     

A novel hybrid electrode of zeolitic imidazolate framework–derived carbon encapsulated in reduced-TiO2 nanotube arrays: Fabrication and photoelectrocatalytic activity

Constructing high-efficient photoelectrodes is one of the promising tasks in photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) technology. Al-reduced TiO₂ nanotube arrays (R-TNTAs) exhibit distinct improved visible-light response ability in comparison with traditional TiO₂ nanomaterials. In addition, metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived porous carbon materials possess versatile advantages partly due to preserved geometry configuration of MOF. Inspired by these characteristics, in this work, we synthesized the novel hybrid electrodes of C–N (Zn)@R-TNTAs through the pyrolysis of ZIF-8@R-TNTAs at controlled temperatures, which were pre-synthesized by coating zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-8) onto R-TNTAs. The resulting hybrid electrodes were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and Fourier-transform infrared techniques. The EC property and PEC activity of the composite electrodes were also analyzed, and the dependence of these on the pyrolysis temperature was also explored. The results showed that the pyrolyzed carbon materials were uniformly deposited in the inner TiO₂ nanotubes and thus effectively enhanced their EC and PEC activities. The best EC and PEC capacities were obtained by C–N (Zn)@R-TNTAs (600); the maximum photocurrent density was 0.85 mA cm⁻², which is ~1.5 times that of single R-TNTAs; and the maximum H₂ evolution rate was 58.83 μmol h⁻¹ cm⁻², being ~2.3 times that of R-TNTAs. In addition, C–N (Zn)@R-TNTAs (600) exhibited the best PEC activity in the degradation of rhodamine B with excellent catalytic stability. Based on EC analyses, a possible band structure and enhanced PEC mechanism for C–N (Zn)@R-TNTAs were proposed. There are only a few reports related to reduced TiO₂ nanotubes, and this work highlights the ideas of designing the hybrid electrodes based on reduced TNTAs and MOF-derived carbon materials, which may find broad applications in PC and PEC processes.     

Synthesis and Characterization of CeO2 Nanoparticles via Solution Combustion Method for Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Activity Studies

CeO₂ nanoparticles have been proven to be competent photocatalysts for environmental applications because of their strong redox ability, nontoxicity, long-term stability, and low cost. We have synthesized CeO₂ nanoparticles via solution combustion method using ceric ammonium nitrate as an oxidizer and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as fuel at 450 °C. These nanoparticles exhibit good photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial activity. The obtained product was characterized by various techniques. X-ray diffraction data confirms a cerianite structure: a cubic phase CeO₂ having crystallite size of 35 nm. The infrared spectrum shows a strong band below 700 cm⁻¹ due to the Ce−O−Ce stretching vibrations. The UV/Vis spectrum shows maximum absorption at 302 nm. The photoluminescence spectrum shows characteristic peaks of CeO₂ nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images clearly show the presence of a porous network with a lot of voids. From transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, it is clear that the particles are almost spherical, and the average size of the nanoparticles is found to be 42 nm. CeO₂ nanoparticles exhibit photocatalytic activity against trypan blue at pH 10 in UV light, and the reaction follows pseudo first-order kinetics. Finally, CeO₂ nanoparticles also reduce Cr^VI to Cr^III and show antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

Photoelectron Properties and Organic Molecules Photodegradation Activity of Titania Nanotubes with CuxO Nanoparticles Heat Treated in Air and Argon

Titania is very famous photocatalyst for decomposition of organic pollutants. Its photocatalytic properties significantly depend on the morphology and chemical composition of the samples. Herein, the TiO₂ nanotubes/Cu_xO nanoheterostructures have been synthesized and the effect of heat treatment performed in molecular atmospheres of air and argon on their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties has been studied. The prepared samples have a higher reaction rate constant compared to TiO₂ nanotubes in the decomposition reaction of methylene blue molecules. It is established that in argon treated nanoheterostructures, the copper oxide is present in two phases, CuO and Cu₂O, while in air treated ones there is only CuO. In the TiO₂ nanotubes/Cu_xO samples, Cu²⁺ ions and molecular O₂⁻ radicals were detected while in TiO₂ nanotubes only carbon dangling bond defects are present. The dynamics of O₂⁻ radicals under illumination are discussed. It was shown that the TiO₂ nanotubes do not exhibit photocatalytic activity under visible light. The mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction on the surface of the TiO₂ nanotubes/Cu_xO samples was proposed. It is assumed that a photocatalytic decomposition of organic molecules under visible light at the surface of the nanoheterostructures under investigation is realized mainly by the reaction of these molecules with photogenerated O₂⁻ radicals. The results obtained are completely original and indicate the high promise of the prepared photocatalysts.     

Adsorption of atomic hydrogen on single-walled carbon nanotubes

We have investigated atomic and electronic structures of hydrogen-chemisorbed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by density functional calculations. We have searched for relative stability of various hydrogen adsorption geometries with coverage. The hydrogenated SWCNTs are stable with coverage of H/C, theta >/= 0.3. The circular cross sections of nanotubes are transformed to polygonal shapes with different symmetries upon hydrogen adsorption. We find that the band gap in carbon nanotubes can be engineered by varying hydrogen coverage, independent of the metallicity of carbon nanotubes. This is explained by the degree of sp(3) hybridization.