Article Title

Ultra-thin double-walled carbon nanotubes: A novel nanocontainer for preparing atomic wires

Authors

Lei Shi, Department of Physics, and Institute of Low-Dimensional Carbons and Device Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Leimei Sheng, Department of Physics, and Institute of Low-Dimensional Carbons and Device Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Liming Yu, Department of Physics, and Institute of Low-Dimensional Carbons and Device Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Kang An, Department of Physics, and Institute of Low-Dimensional Carbons and Device Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Yoshinori Ando, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Meijo University, Nagoya 468-8502, Japan
Xinluo Zhao, Department of Physics, and Institute of Low-Dimensional Carbons and Device Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China

Keywords

Arc discharge, carbon chains, double-walled carbon nanotubes, field electron emission, nanocontainer, nanowires

Abstract

Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with high graphitization have been synthesized by hydrogen arc discharge. The obtained DWCNTs have a narrow distribution of diameters of both the inner and outer tubes, and more than half of the DWCNTs have inner diameters in the range 0.6–1.0 nm. Field electron emission from a DWCNT cathode to an anode has been measured, and the emission current density of DWCNTs reached 1 A/cm2 at an applied field of about 4.3 V/μm. After high-temperature treatment of DWCNTs, long linear carbon chains (C-chains) can be grown inside the ultra-thin DWCNTs to form a novel C-chain@DWCNT nanostructure, showing that these ultra-thin DWCNTs are an appropriate nanocontainer for preparing truly one-dimensional nanostructures with one-atom-diameter.

Graphical Abstract

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-011-0132-y

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

Lei Shi,Leimei Sheng,Liming Yu,Kang An,Yoshinori Ando,Xinluo Zhao, Ultra-thin double-walled carbon nanotubes: A novel nanocontainer for preparing atomic wires. NanoRes.2011, 4(8): 759–766