Growth of Carbon Nanotubes inside Boron Nitride Nanotubes by Coalescence of Fullerenes: Toward the World's Smallest Coaxial Cable

Walker, Kate E. and Rance, Graham A. and Pekker, Áron and Tóháti, Hajnalka M. and Fay, Michael W. and Lodge, Rhys W. and Stoppiello, Craig T. and Kamarás, Katalin and Khlobystov, Andrei N. (2017) Growth of Carbon Nanotubes inside Boron Nitride Nanotubes by Coalescence of Fullerenes: Toward the World's Smallest Coaxial Cable. Small Methods, 1 (9). ISSN 2366-9608 (Submitted)

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Abstract

The use of boron nitride nanotubes as effective nanoscale containers for the confinement and thermal transformations of molecules of C60-fullerene is demonstrated. The gas-phase insertion of fullerenes into the internal channel of boron nitride nanotubes yields quasi-1D arrays, with packing arrangements of the guest-fullerenes different from those in the bulk crystal and critically dependent on the internal diameter of the host-nanotube. Interestingly, the confined fullerene molecules: i) exhibit dynamic behavior and temperature-dependent phase transitions analogous to that observed in the bulk crystal and (ii) can be effectively removed from within the internal channel of nanotubes by excessive sonication in organic solvent, indicating weak host-guest interactions. The thermal treatment of fullerenes confined within nanotubes at 1200 °C in argon triggers the polymerization and coalescence of the guest fullerenes into carbon nanotubes inside boron nitride nanotubes affording a hybrid nanostructure – the world’s smallest coaxial cable – on a preparative scale, as confirmed by high-resolution bright-field transmission electron microscopy imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy, energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy elemental mapping and UV vis absorption spectroscopy.

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