Cover Picture: Metallic Impurities within Residual Catalyst Metallic Nanoparticles Are in Some Cases Responsible for “Electrocatalytic” Effect of Carbon Nanotubes (Chem. Asian J. 4/2009)
1. International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA‐WPI) and Biomaterials Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 1‐1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305‐0044 (Japan), Fax: (+81)?29‐860‐4714;2. Materials Analysis Station, National Institute for Materials Science, 1‐2‐1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305‐0047 (Japan)
Abstract:
At first sight , carbon nanotubes seem to be perfect materials, but appearances can be deceptive. Carbon nanotubes contain impurities and these impurities are often contaminated by yet other impurities. Interestingly, while main impurities (such as Co and Mo) are not electrochemically active, impurities of impurities (such as Fe in this case) dominate the electrochemistry of carbon nanotubes for reduction of important biomarkers, such as hydrogen peroxide. H. Iwai and M. Pumera discuss the importance of this observation in their Full Paper on page 554 ff.
