Structural transformations of carbon chains inside nanotubes

Journal Article · Thu Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.81.155419· OSTI ID:21366728

Warner, Jamie H ^[1]; Ruemmeli, Mark H; Bachmatiuk, Alicja; Buechner, Bernd ^[2]

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1. Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom)
2. IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany)

In situ aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy is used to examine the structural transformations of carbon chains that occur in the interior region of carbon nanotubes. We find electron-beam irradiation leads to the formation of two-dimensional carbon structures that are freely mobile inside the nanotube. The inner diameter of the nanotube influences the structural transformations of the carbon chains. As the diameter of the nanotube increases, electron-beam irradiation leads to curling of the chains and eventually the formation of closed looped structures. The closed looped structures evolve into spherical fullerenelike structures that exhibit translational motion inside the nanotubes and also coalesce to form larger nanotube structures. These results demonstrate the use of carbon nanotubes as test tubes for growing small carbon nanotubes within the interior by using only electron-beam irradiation at 80 kV.

• OSTI ID: 21366728
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 81; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BEAMS
CARBON
CHAINS
CONFIGURATION
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
IRRADIATION
LEPTON BEAMS
MICROSCOPY
NANOSTRUCTURES
NANOTUBES
NONMETALS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RESOLUTION
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
TRANSFORMATIONS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS