Zigzag Assembly of Carbon Nanotubes inside Au Microtrenches

We report the self-assembly of zigzag patterns consisting of aligned carbon nanotubes inside Au microtrenches by chemical vapor deposition using ferrocene/xylene solution as the precursor. The zigzag nanotubes have uniform size and constant interpattern distance, which can be controlled by simply changing the width of the Au trenches. We demonstrated the tunable length and orientation of nanotubes during self-assembly, leading to a predictable motion of zigzag patterns. A growth model was proposed for the zigzag assembly of nanotubes, including the formation and subsequent splitting of an amorphous carbon layer on the pattern top. Rows of nanotube micropatterns regularly distributed along the Au trench are potential candidates as integrated arrays of thermal or mechanical detectors and actuators.     

Morphological evolution of inorganic crystal into zigzag and helical architectures with an exquisite association of polymer: a novel approach for morphological complexity

The morphology of potassium sulfate (K(2)SO(4)) crystals grown in a viscous polymer solution of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was remarkably changed from the tilted columnar assembly into zigzag and helical architectures with increasing PAA concentration. The habit modification of orthorhombic K(2)SO(4) with adsorption of PAA molecules on a specified crystal face fundamentally led to the formation of tilted unit crystals. Concurrently with the habit modification, a diffusion-limited condition controlling the assembly of tilted units was achieved in the presence of PAA molecules in the matrix. Various complex morphologies, including zigzag and helical assembly, emerged through the formation of twinned crystals with the variation of the diffusion condition. Understanding the morphogenesis observed in this report would provide a novel approach for sophisticated crystal design by using an exquisite association of organic and inorganic materials.     

H2 adsorption on Ag‐nanocluster/single‐walled carbon nanotube composites: A molecular dynamics study on the effects of nanocluster size,diameter, and chirality of nanotube

The H₂ physisorption on Ag_N (with N = 32, 108, 256, 500, and 864)/carbon nanotube (CNT; in armchair and zigzag structures with diameters between 0.54 and 2.98 nm) composites were studied by molecular dynamic simulation to investigate the effect of nanocluster size, diameter, and chirality of nanotube on the adsorption phenomena. The calculations indicate that the effects of nanocluster properties are more important than those of the nanotube, in such a way that increase of nanocluster size, decreases the H₂ adsorption. Also, the diameter and chirality of CNTs have considerable influence on the adsorption phenomena. As the diameter of nanotube is increased, the amount of adsorption is decreased. Moreover, H₂ molecules have more tendencies to those nanoclusters located on the armchair nanotubes than the zigzag ones. Another important result is the reversibility of H₂ adsorption on these materials in which the structure of composite in vacuum and after reduction of H₂ pressure to zero, is not changed, considerably. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Adsorption of hydrogen molecules on the platinum-doped boron nitride nanotubes

Adsorption of hydrogen molecules on platinum-doped single-walled zigzag (8,0) boron nitride (BN) nanotube is investigated using the density-functional theory. The Pt atom tends to occupy the axial bridge site of the BN tube with the highest binding energy of -0.91 eV. Upon Pt doping, several occupied and unoccupied impurity states are induced, which reduces the band gap of the pristine BN nanotube. Upon hydrogen adsorption on Pt-doped BN nanotube, the first hydrogen molecule can be chemically adsorbed on the Pt-doped BN nanotube without crossing any energy barrier, whereas the second hydrogen molecule has to overcome a small energy barrier of 0.019 eV. At least up to two hydrogen molecules can be chemically adsorbed on a single Pt atom supported by the BN nanotube, with the average adsorption energy of -0.365 eV. Upon hydrogen adsorption on a Pt-dimer-doped BN nanotube, the formation of the Pt dimer not only weakens the interaction between the Pt cluster and the BN nanotube but also reduces the average adsorption energy of hydrogen molecules. These calculation results can be useful in the assessment of metal-doped BN nanotubes as potential hydrogen storage media.     

二氧化钛纳米管储氢能力的分子动力学研究

二氧化钛纳米管是一种有前景的储氢材料,因此,在本文中通过卷曲锐钛矿单分子层,获得锯齿型(Zig-zag)和手性型(Chiral)二氧化钛纳米管结构。并采用分子动力学方法(Molecular dynamics)研究了氢分子分别在锯齿型和手性型二氧化钛纳米管和碳纳米管中的分布情况,并计算其储氢能力。结果表明,与碳纳米管一样,锯齿型和手性型二氧化钛纳米管存在管间储氢和管内储氢情况,并且氢分子在管间和管内的分布与二氧化钛纳米管内、外两侧的氧原子相关。Lennard-Jones势能模型表明:氢分子向纳米管内部和管间隙处的低能处聚集,形成氢分子环结构。储氢量计算结果表明,虽然锯齿型和手性型二氧化钛纳米管储存的氢分子数目较多,但由于系统重量较大,储氢量较低,低于美国能源部6%的商业标准,不能满足实际需要,而碳纳米管储氢量接近这一标准。     

Metal induced molecular nano-extraction

We have previously devised a “scorpion” like system which is composed of a zigzag (8,0) single walled carbon nanotube attached to a 20 ringed graphene sheet by a glycine dimer species. Theoretical density functional theory calculations on a potential mechanism driven by a metal induced charge transfer process has been proposed for the extraction of molecules from nanotubes.     

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.     

Computational studies of carbon nanotube-hydrocarbon bond strengths at nanotube ends: effect of link heteroatom and hydrocarbon structure

Semiempirical and density functional electronic structure theory methods were used to study SWNT-X--R bond strengths, where the single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) had an armchair or zigzag structure, the link heteroatom X was O, N(H), or S and the hydrocarbon chain R was CH(2)CH(3), CH(OH)CH(3), CHCH(2), or CH(CF(3))CH(3). In all systems the hydrocarbon was bonded to the end of the nanotube. The SWNT-X--R bond (that is, the bond joining the link atom to the hydrocarbon) is more than 0.4 eV stronger for armchair than for zigzag nanotubes with the same diameters, irrespective of whether O, N, or S are used as link atoms or whether OH, C==C, or CF(3) groups are present in the hydrocarbon chain. This raises the possibility for selective manipulation of armchair/zigzag nanotubes using a variety of link atoms and hydrocarbon structures. The SWNT-O--CH(CF(3))CH(3) bond is weaker than the SWNT-O--CH(2)CH(3) bond (for both armchair and zigzag nanotubes), while inclusion of a double bond in the ethyl chain increases the bond strengths. Also, SWNT-S--CH(2)CH(3) and SWNT-N(H)--CH(2)CH(3) bonds are stronger than SWNT-O--CH(2)CH(3) bonds.     

Theoretical Prediction of Adsorption Properties of Carmustine Drug on Various Sites of the Outer Surface of the Single-Walled Boron Nitride Nanotube and Investigation of Urea Effect on Drug Delivery by DFT and MD

In this work, the adsorption behavior of Carmustine (BCNU) drug over the (6,0) zigzag single-wall boron nitride nanotube (SWBNNT) is studied by means of density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations (MD). The calculated adsorption energies proved that the adsorption of BCNU molecule on SWBNNT is a physisorption process. The natural bond orbital calculations demonstrated that existence of a charge transfer from the SWBNNT to the BCNU molecule. Moreover, quantum theory of atoms in molecules showed that the hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions are two major factors contributed to the overall stabilities of the complexes. Furthermore, interaction of BCNU with the surface of single wall BNNT at 310 K and 1 bar in the present of water and different concentration of Urea molecules has been studied by MD simulation. The MD results confirm that the highest number of hydrogen bond and the lowest value of Lennard-Jones (L-J) energy between nanotube and drug exist in the simulation system with concentration of 1 mol L^?1 Urea.     

Phenylene segments of zigzag carbon nanotubes synthesized by metal-mediated dimerization

Well-studied cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs) correspond to the simplest segments of armchair CNTs, whereas the corresponding macrocyclic oligophenylene strip of zigzag CNTs is still missing. Herein, we present two series of conjugated macrocycles (CM2PP and CN2PP) containing two meta-phenylene or 2,7-naphthylene units facing each other in the strip. CM2PP and CN2PP can be regarded as the shortest cyclic primitive segments of zigzag CNTs. They were synthesized by gold-mediated dimerization and unambiguously characterized. They adopted the tubular structures and can further pack into one-dimensional supramolecular nanotubes. In particular, the supramolecular nanotube of CM2P4P mimics the CNT(9, 0) structure. Structural analysis and theoretical calculation accounted for the reduced ring strain in CM2PPs and CN2PPs. CM2PPs and CN2PPs exhibited a large optical extinction coefficient and high photoluminescence quantum yield. CN2P8P can accommodate fullerene C₆₀, forming a Saturn-like C₆₀@CN2P8P complex, a mimic structure of zigzag CNT peapods.

Two types of macrocycles were synthesized by gold-mediated dimerization, representing the phenylene cutouts of zigzag carbon nanotubes. These macrocycles showed intriguing optical and supramolecular assembly properties.     

Kekulé count in capped zigzag boron-nitride nanotubes

Hemi-B16N16 capped zigzag boron-nitride nanotube is introduced, and its Kekulé count is studied. With a bond-allocating and coding scheme, recurrence formulas are established as well as for the case of a hemi-B36N36 capped zigzag nanotube. Numerical results reveal that the Kekulé counts increase exponentially with respect to the number of layers in the nanotubes concerned.     

Directing and sensing changes in molecular conformation on individual carbon nanotube field effect transistors

This study explores how to populate the surface of the carbon nanotubes with functional molecules that can be toggled back-and-forth between different molecular conformations. The molecules synthesized for this study are tagged with a photoswitchable headgroup and a functional group which directs the assembly on the surface of the carbon nanotubes. Single-walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors switch between high and low conductance as the molecules are switched with light between open and closed conformations. These devices detect the photoswitching of approximately 104 molecules.     

Double dative bond configuration: pyrimidine on Ge(100)

The adsorption of pyrimidine onto Ge(100) surfaces has been investigated using real-time scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results show that the adsorbed pyrimidine molecules are tilted about 40 degrees with respect to the Ge surface, and through a Lewis acid-base reaction form bridges between the down-Ge atoms of neighboring Ge dimer rows by double Ge-N dative bonding without loss of aromaticity. For coverages of pyrimidine up to 0.25 ML, a well-ordered c(4x2) structure results from states that appear in STM micrographs as oval-shaped protrusions, which correspond to pyrimidine molecules datively adsorbed on every other dimer. However, above 0.25 ML, the oval-shaped protrusions gradually change into brighter zigzag lines. At 0.50 ML, a p(2x2) structure results from the states that appear in STM as zigzag lines. The zigzag lines are formed by the attachment of pyrimidine molecules to the down-Ge atoms of every Ge dimer. However, the unstable p(2x2) structure eventually reconstructs into a c(4x2) structure due to steric hindrance between the adsorbed pyrimidine molecules after stopping the exposure of pyrimidine to the surface.     

Two‐Dimensional Seeded Self‐Assembly of a Complex Hierarchical Perylene‐Based Heterostructure

A complex two‐dimensional (2D) hierarchical heterostructure was fabricated by a sequential two‐dimensional seeded self‐assembly, which consisted of laterally grown nanotubes from one perylene monomer and terminally elongated nanocoils from a similar perylene monomer on microribbon seeds from a third perylene. Because the nanotube and nanocoil monomers can form kinetically trapped off‐pathway aggregates to prevent self‐nucleation and have similar molecular organizations to different facets of the seeds, the nanotube and nanocoil monomers preferentially nucleate and grow on the seed sides and terminal ends, respectively, to form a complex 2D hierarchical heterostructure. The strategy used in this work can be extended to fabricate other complex nanoarchitectures from small molecules.     

The calculations of phonon dispersion relations for single-wall carbon armchair and zigzag nanotubes

A 3D single-wall carbon nanotube can be viewed as a 2D graphite sheet rolled into a 3D cylinder. In the study of dispersion relations of carbon nanotubes, the consistent force parameters for 2D graphite sheets have to be modified to include the curvature effect. The present paper reports a series of calculations of phonon dispersion relations for single-wall carbon armchair, zigzag nanotube in which the curvature effect has been properly treated. The symmetry of crystal vibration mode at the centre of Brillouin zone is analyzed based on our numeric results and the structure symmetry of the nanotubes.     

X‐Shaped Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Optical Properties and Tunable Assembly Ability

Although a number of synthetic methodologies have been developed to prepare stable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), much less research has been devoted to functionalizing the peripheries of molecules to tune the self‐assembly ability or introduce functional groups without altering their photophysical properties. Herein, we report twisted “X”‐shaped molecules prepared through annulation of hexacene with benzoanthracene on the zigzag edge, and an investigation of their photophysical properties and self‐assembly properties. The shape‐complementary “X”‐shaped molecules prefer to dimerize, while the π‐extension would lead to one‐dimensional π‐stacking. Our findings give some insights into the design of stable PAHs without disturbing the electronic structures.     

A Semiempirical Study of Carbon Nanotubes with Finite Tubular Length and Various Tubular Diameters

A semiempirical PM3 quantum computational method has been used to generate the electronic and optimized geometrical structure of SWNT of zigzag and armchair types. We shed light on the electronic structures of SWNT with various diameters and lengths of the tube. Particularly, the calculated HOMO, LUMO and band‐gap of SWNT are not monotonic but exhibit a well‐defined oscillation, which depends on the tubular diameter and the tubular length. Calculated HOMO, LUMO and band‐gap of the zigzag SWNTs have oscillated with tubular diameter as they contain an odd or even number of benzenoids in the circular plane of the carbon nanotube. The zigzag SWNTs with an odd number of benzenoids have a higher band‐gap than those of SWNTs with an even number of benzenoids in the circular plane of the carbon nanotube. Calculated results also reveal that the tubular length in the zigzag SWNTs influences the band‐gaps very little. For the armchair SWNT, calculated HOMO, LUMO and band‐gap contained the oscillate depending on the number of carbon sections in the tubular length axis. Their repeat sections are 3n‐1, 3n and 3n+1. The armchair SWNT with 3n+1 sections has a high band‐gap while the SWNTs with 3n‐1 sections have a low band‐gap. The tubular diameters of armchair SWNT influence the HOMO, LUMO and band gap very little.     

Single-molecule dynamics of lysozyme processing distinguishes linear and cross-linked peptidoglycan substrates

The dynamic processivity of individual T4 lysozyme molecules was monitored in the presence of either linear or cross-linked peptidoglycan substrates. Single-molecule monitoring was accomplished using a novel electronic technique in which lysozyme molecules were tethered to single-walled carbon nanotube field-effect transistors through pyrene linker molecules. The substrate-driven hinge-bending motions of lysozyme induced dynamic electronic signals in the underlying transistor, allowing long-term monitoring of the same molecule without the limitations of optical quenching or bleaching. For both substrates, lysozyme exhibited processive low turnover rates of 20-50 s(-1) and rapid (200-400 s(-1)) nonproductive motions. The latter nonproductive binding events occupied 43% of the enzyme's time in the presence of the cross-linked peptidoglycan but only 7% with the linear substrate. Furthermore, lysozyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds to the end of the linear substrate but appeared to sidestep the peptide cross-links to zigzag through the wild-type substrate.     

Catalytically active CNT–polymer-membrane assemblies: From synthesis to application

A new membrane electrode assembly set up for catalytic processes containing carbon nanotubes has been developed. The process includes the nanotube synthesis, sputter deposition of platinum as catalyst and the membrane casting. Aligned nanotube carpets were grown from toluene/ferrocene solutions and sputtered with platinum. Subsequently the assembly was investigated using cyclic voltammetry to confirm a sufficient catalyst activity. A procedure was developed to embed the carbon nanotubes doped with catalyst into SPEEK membranes, while preserving the aligned structure and keeping some surface area of the catalyst-doped nanotubes free of membrane material to allow for easy access to reactants. So far the best results were obtained using an aligned but somewhat loose nanotube structure and a deposition of 0.034 mg/cm² Pt, forming a combination of small catalyst clusters and a thin film. The assemblies are optimized in respect to application in fuel cells and functional membranes.     

Solvent exchange in thermally stable resorcinarene nanotubes

The assembly of C-methyl resorcinarene into a tubular supramolecular solid-state structure, its thermal stability, and its hosting properties are reported. Careful control of the crystallisation conditions of C-methyl resorcinarene and 1,4-dimethyl-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (1,4-dimethyl DABCO) dibromide leads to a formation of two crystallographically different, but structurally very similar, solid-state nanotube structures. These structures undergo a remarkable variety of supramolecular interactions, which lead to the formation of 0.5 nm diameter nonpolar tubes through the crystal lattice. The formation of these tubes is templated by suitably sized small alcohols, namely, n-propanol, 2-propanol, or n-butanol. The self-assembly involves close pi...pi interactions between the adjacent resorcinarenes, and C--H...pi and cation...pi interactions between the resorcinarenes and the guest 1,4-dimethyl DABCO dications. The crystals of these supramolecular tube structures are thermally very stable and the included solvent alcohol can be removed from the tubes without breaking the single-crystalline structure of the assembly. After removal of the solvent molecules the tubes can be filled with other small, less polar solvent molecules such as dichloromethane.