Theoretical studies on structures and aromaticity of finite-length armchair carbon nanotubes

[structure: see text] Depending on the exact length of the tube, the chemical structure of finite-length armchair [n,n] single-wall carbon nanotube (n = 5 and 6) falls into three different classes that may be referred to as Kekulé, incomplete Clar, and complete Clar networks. The C-C bond lengths, nucleus-independent chemical shift analysis, and orbital energies suggest that the chemical reactivities of the finite-length tube change periodically as the tube length is elongated by one-by-one layering of cyclic carbon array.     

椅型碳纳米管电子结构与长度效应

采用PM3方法对含帽结构的三种(5,5)椅型有限长碳纳米管的构型和电子结构进行了系统研究，结果表明，随着管长度的增加，除了最高占据轨道(HOMO)和最低空轨道(LUMO)之间的能隙(Eg)出现周期性的变化外，纳米管端“表面”(管的末端和管帽)构型也出现周期振荡现象，通过研究同种类型纳米管三组不同的长度效应，发现属于同一组的纳米管具有相似的构型和电子结构变化规律，此外，研究表明纳米管帽的尺寸效应可以看成为一定长度管壁的简单延伸，揭示了含帽与不含帽纳米管电子结构之间的相似性。本文还对处在管末端以及管帽上的表面态及其化学反应性进行了探讨。     

Clar-Kekule structuring in armchair carbon nanotubes

Geometrical patterns on armchair nanotubes and their dependence on length (up to 10 nm) have been studied using first-principles methods. The results indicate that finite nanotubes do not show a uniform bond structure. The previous structural classification of armchair nanotubes in Clar, Kekule, and incomplete-Clar types becomes unified with lengthening, not in a bond-uniform structure, as PBC models report, but into an alternated sequence of Clar and Kekule domains in all cases, with possible mechanical and electronic consequences.     

Unique origin of colors of armchair carbon nanotubes

The colors of suspended metallic colloidal particles are determined by their size-dependent plasma resonance, while those of semiconducting colloidal particles are determined by their size-dependent band gap. Here, we present a novel case for armchair carbon nanotubes, suspended in aqueous medium, for which the color depends on their size-dependent excitonic resonance, even though the individual particles are metallic. We observe distinct colors of a series of armchair-enriched nanotube suspensions, highlighting the unique coloration mechanism of these one-dimensional metals.     

电场和应力作用下氮钝化扶手型氧化锌纳米带的电子结构和磁特性

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)方法,在LDA+U水平下详细研究了电场和应力作用下氮钝化扶手型氧化锌纳米带(NA8-ZnONRs)的电子结构和磁特性。对体系的电子结构和磁性进行详细的计算,结果表明：本征扶手型氧化锌纳米带(A8-ZnONRs)是无磁性P型半导体。氮钝化后NA8-ZnONRs具有铁磁金属性,其磁性主要来源于N2p轨道(2.56μ_B)和O2p轨道(0.69μ_B)电子的自旋极化,总磁矩为3.21μ_B。NA8-ZnONRs体系对X方向电场有较强的响应,通过调节X方向电场的幅度,可以有效调节体系的磁矩。在X方向电场作用下体系仍具有铁磁金属性,磁性也主要来源于N2p和O2p轨道电子的自旋极化。施加X方向应力作用后,体系仍表现为铁磁金属性。与NA8-ZnONRs纳米带磁矩相比,体系的总磁矩均发生了较大幅度的增长,表明体系对应力作用具有较明显的相应。但随着应力幅度的调节,总磁矩的变化较平坦。表明施加应力可以有效调节体系的磁矩,但在较小应力范围内,体系对应力变化的相应不明显。     

Electronic properties and reactivity of Pt-doped carbon nanotubes

The structures of the (5,5) single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) segments with hemispheric carbon cages capped at the ends (SWCNT rod) and the Pt-doped SWCNT rods have been studied within density functional theory. Our theoretical studies find that the hemispheric cages introduce localized states on the caps. The cap-Pt-doped SWCNT rods can be utilized as sensors because of the sensitivity of the doped Pt atom. The Pt-doped SWCNT rods can also be used as catalysts, where the doped Pt atom serves as the enhanced and localized active center on the SWCNT. The adsorptions of C(2)H(4) and H(2) on the Pt atom in the Pt-doped SWCNT rods reveal different adsorption characteristics. The adsorption of C(2)H(4) on the Pt atom in all of the three Pt-doped SWCNT rods studied (cap-end-doped, cap-doped, and wall-doped) is physisorption with the strongest interaction occurring in the middle of the sidewall of the SWCNT. On the other hand, the adsorption of H(2) on the Pt atom at the sidewall of the SWCNT is chemisorption resulting in the decomposition of H(2), and the adsorption of H(2) at the hemispheric caps is physisorption.     

End-cap effects on vibrational structures of finite-length carbon nanotubes

Vibrational structures of C60-related finite-length nanotubes, C(40+20n) and C(42+18n) (1 < or = n < or = 4), in which n is, respectively, the number of cyclic cis- and trans-polyene chains inserted between fullerene hemispheres, are analyzed from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. To illuminate the end-cap effects on their vibrational structures, the corresponding tubes terminated by H atoms C(20n)H20 and C(18n)H18 (1 < or = n < or = 5) are also investigated. DFT calculations show a broad range of vibrational frequencies for the finite-size nanotubes: high-frequency modes (1100-1600 cm(-1)) containing oscillations along tangential directions (tangential modes), medium-frequency modes (700-850 cm(-1)) whose oscillations are located on the edges or end caps, and low-frequency modes (300-600 cm(-1)) involving oscillations along the radial directions (radial modes). Broadening of the calculated frequencies is due to the number of nodes in the standing waves of normal modes in the finite-size tubes. In the capped tubes, calculated vibrational frequencies are insensitive to the number of chains (n), whereas in the uncapped tubes, most vibrational frequencies change significantly with an increase in tube length. The discrepancy in the size dependency is reasonably understood by their C-C bonding networks; the capped tubes have similar bond-length alternation patterns within the polyene chains irrespective of n, whereas the uncapped tubes have various bond-deformation patterns. Thus, DFT calculations illuminate that the edge effects have strong impacts on the vibrational frequencies in the finite-size nanotubes.     

Edge effects, electronic arrangement, and aromaticity patterns on finite-length carbon nanotubes

Previous investigations have revealed that even long carbon nanotubes (CNTs) retain bond patterns that are characterized by the localization of Clar rings. Even for CNTs with 10 nm length, an alternated, oscillating structure of Clar and Kekulé patterning was also found, indicating that these arrangements may possibly persist for even longer nanotubes, given that they are finite. In the present work, we perform a detailed and comprehensive theoretical study of this phenomenon, in order to find the causes that give rise to these patterns. A complete set of CNTs with different chiralities, diameters (up to 2 nm), lengths (up to 10 nm) and endings (capped, uncapped, and tailored endings) was considered for such purposes. The results indicate that the Clar patterning appears not only on armchair CNTs, but also on those with chiral angle values close to 30°, and this results in a stabilization of the structure, when compared with the uniform, zigzag CNTs. This stabilizing effect points to the causes that underlie the three Nakamura CNT types, resulting as the superposition of structures with a maximal number of Clar rings. Although there is a strict dependence on the border shape, the main cause of the bond patterning in long tubes is to be found in the intrinsic wrapping of each CNT, because the type and number of oscillations present in the longest structures do not depend on the particular length. Nevertheless, the three Nakamura types of armchair tubes appear to subsist beyond the appearance of oscillations, because each of these sets evolves in a different manner, and energy properties that link them together. Apart from the geometry, Clar patterning was investigated through NICS (Nucleus Independent Chemical Shifts) measures, which reveal a connection between the Clar rings and a local concentration of aromaticity.     

Controllable interconnection of single-walled carbon nanotubes under ac electric field

We demonstrated the controllable interconnection of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) under alternating current (ac) electric field. The interconnected carbon nanotubes were found to be parallel with the electric flux and increased abruptly with deposition time following a self-accelerating process. Theoretical simulation indicates that the alignment and the interconnection of carbon nanotubes were induced by the dielectrophoresis force and the electric field redistribution at the nanotube apexes.     

Electronic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes inside cyclic supermolecules

Possible ways for manipulating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with cyclic supermolecules are studied using density functional theory. Electronic structure calculations with structure optimizations have been performed for the (4,4) and (8,0) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) complexed with crown ethers as well as for the (4,0) SWNT with beta-cyclodextrin. A slight polarization of charge in both the nanotube and the supermolecule is observed upon rotaxane complexation, but the interaction is mainly repulsive, and the systems stay 2.8-3.5 A apart. The supermolecule does not affect the electronic band structure of the nanotube significantly within such a configuration. The situation differs noticeably for chemically cross-linked SWNTs and crown ethers, where a peak arises at the Fermi energy in the density of states. As a result, the band gap of semiconducting CNT(8,0) (0.5 eV) vanishes, and a new conduction channel opens for the metallic CNT(4,4).     

Field emission properties of N-doped capped single-walled carbon nanotubes: a first-principles density-functional study

The geometrical structures and field emission properties of pristine and N-doped capped (5,5) single-walled carbon nanotubes have been investigated using first-principles density-functional theory. The structures of N-doped carbon nanotubes are stable under field emission conditions. The calculated work function of N-doped carbon nanotube decreases drastically when compared with pristine carbon nanotube, which means the enhancement of field emission properties. The ionization potentials of N-doped carbon nanotubes are also reduced significantly. The authors analyze the field emission mechanism in terms of energy gap between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital, Mulliken charge population, and local density of states. Due to the doping of nitrogen atom, the local density of states at the Fermi level increases dramatically and donor states can be observed above the Fermi level. The authors' results suggest that the field emission properties of carbon nanotubes can be enhanced by the doping of nitrogen atom, which are consistent with the experimental results.     

Electronic structures of organic molecule encapsulated BN nanotubes under transverse electric field

The electronic structures of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) doped by different organic molecules under a transverse electric field were investigated via first-principles calculations. The external field reduces the energy gap of BNNT, thus makes the molecular bands closer to the BNNT band edges and enhances the charge transfers between BNNT and molecules. The effects of the electric field direction on the band structure are negligible. The electric field shielding effect of BNNT to the inside organic molecules is discussed. Organic molecule doping strongly modifies the optical property of BNNT, and the absorption edge is redshifted under static transverse electric field.     

Evolution of DNA sequences toward recognition of metallic armchair carbon nanotubes

The armchair carbon nanotube is an ideal system to study fundamental physics in one-dimensional metals and potentially a superb material for applications such as electrical power transmission. Synthesis and purification efforts to date have failed to produce a homogeneous population of such a material. Here we report evolutionary strategies to find DNA sequences for the recognition and subsequent purification of (6,6) and (7,7) armchair species from synthetic mixtures. The new sequences were derived by single-point scanning mutation and sequence motif variation of previously identified ones for semiconducting tubes. Optical absorption spectroscopy of the purified armchair tubes revealed well-resolved first- and second-order electronic transitions accompanied by prominent sideband features that have neither been predicted nor observed previously. Resonance Raman spectroscopy showed a single Lorentzian peak for the in-plane carbon-carbon stretching mode (G band) of the armchair tubes, repudiating the common practice of using such a line shape to infer the absence of metallic species. Our work demonstrates the exquisite sensitivity of DNA to nanotube metallicity and makes the long-anticipated pure armchair tubes available as seeds for their mass amplification.     

Electronic transport in Z-junction carbon nanotubes

In this paper, the electronic transport in different Z-shape carbon nanotubes containing double knee junction structures on the same tube is studied. One consists of (5,5)-(9,0)-(5,5) double knee nano-metal-metal-metal junctions and another consists (6,6)-(10,0)-(6,6) double knee nano-metal-semiconductor-metal junctions. With the nearest-neighbor pi-orbital tight-binding model, quantum conductances of these double knee junctions are calculated using the Landauer formula. The interesting conductance curves are provided to exhibit a potential application in the arena of molecular electronics.     

Electronic conduction in polymers, carbon nanotubes and graphene

In the years since the discovery of organic polymers that exhibited electrical conductivities comparable to some metals, other novel carbon-based conductors have been developed, including carbon nanotubes and graphene (monolayers of carbon atoms). In this critical review, we discuss the common features and the differences in the conduction mechanisms observed in these carbon-based materials, which range from near ballistic and conventional metallic conduction to fluctuation-assisted tunnelling, variable-range hopping and more exotic mechanisms. For each category of material, we discuss the dependence of conduction on the morphology of the sample. The presence of heterogeneous disorder is often particularly important in determining the overall behaviour, and can lead to surprisingly similar conduction behaviour in polymers, carbon nanotube networks and chemically-derived graphene (122 references).     

Electronic structure of carbon nanotubes with an impurity point defect

A method for calculating the electronic structure of point defects in nanotubes is developed on the basis of the linear augmented cylindrical wave (LACW) method. The Green function of a defect nanotube is calculated using the Dyson matrix equation. The consideration is carried out in terms of the local density functional theory and the muffin-tin approximation for the electronic potential. Local densities of state are calculated for boron and nitrogen dopants in metal, semimetal, and semiconductor and chiral and nonchiral nanotubes. An increased density of states at the Fermi level is the most significant effect of boron and nitrogen dopants in metal nanotubes. In all semiconductor nanotubes, localized boron states close the optical band-gap. The effect of nitrogen atoms is restricted to a small rise in local densities of state at the Fermi level.     

Electronic structure and field emission of multiwalled carbon nanotubes depending on growth temperature

The electronic structure of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been investigated, depending on the growth temperature, using synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field emission measurements. The vertically aligned CNTs are grown via pyrolysis of ferrocene and acetylene in a broad temperature range 600-1000 degrees C. The CNTs have a cylindrical structure with a uniform diameter of 20 nm. As growth temperature increases, due to an improved crystallinity of the graphitic sheets, the width of the XPS C 1s peak becomes narrower and the intensity of the valence band increases. Field emission from the as-grown CNTs exhibits a large enhancement of current density with growth temperature, strongly correlated with the electronic structure revealed by XPS.     

Electronic and magnetic properties of armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbons

The electronic properties, band gap, and ionization potential of zigzag and armchair graphene nanoribbons are calculated as a function of the number of carbon atoms in the ribbon employing density functional theory at the B3LYP6-31G* level. In armchair ribbons, the ionization potential and band gap show a gradual decrease with length. For zigzag ribbons, the dependence of the band gap and ionization potential on ribbon length is different depending on whether the ribbon has an unpaired electron or not. It is also found that boron and nitrogen zigzag and armchair doped graphene nanoribbons have a triplet ground state and could be ferromagnetic.     

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.     

Curvature‐dependent adsorption of water inside and outside armchair carbon nanotubes

The curvature dependence of the physisorption properties of a water molecule inside and outside an armchair carbon nanotube (CNT) is investigated by an incremental density‐fitting local coupled cluster treatment with single and double excitations and perturbative triples (DF‐LCCSD(T)) study. Our results show that a water molecule outside and inside (n, n) CNTs (n = 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10) is stabilized by electron correlation. The adsorption energy of water inside CNTs decreases quickly with the decrease of curvature (increase of radius) and the configuration with the oxygen pointing toward the CNT wall is the most stable one. However, when the water molecule is adsorbed outside the CNT, the adsorption energy varies only slightly with the curvature and the configuration with hydrogens pointing toward the CNT wall is the most stable one. We also use the DF‐LCCSD(T) results to parameterize Lennard‐Jones (LJ) force fields for the interaction of water both with the inner and outer sides of CNTs and with graphene representing the zero curvature limit. It is not possible to reproduce all DF‐LCCSD(T) results for water inside and outside CNTs of different curvature by a single set of LJ parameters, but two sets have to be used instead. Each of the two resulting sets can reproduce three out of four minima of the effective potential curves reasonably well. These LJ models are then used to calculate the water adsorption energies of larger CNTs, approaching the graphene limit, thus bridging the gap between CNTs of increasing radius and flat graphene sheets. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.