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One‐ and Two‐Dimensional Inorganic Crystals inside Inorganic Nanotubes
Author(s) -
Hong Sung You,
Kreizman Ronen,
Rosentsveig Rita,
Zak Alla,
Sloan Jeremy,
Enyashin Andrey N.,
Seifert Gotthard,
Green Malcolm L. H.,
Tenne Reshef
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
european journal of inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1099-0682
pISSN - 1434-1948
DOI - 10.1002/ejic.201000456
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , nanotube , wetting , nanotechnology , chemistry , chemical engineering , phase (matter) , shell (structure) , nanostructure , materials science , composite material , organic chemistry , engineering
Various inorganic salts can be encapsulated inside the comparatively narrow (0.8–2 nm) hollow core of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by molten phase capillary wetting. A new synthetic strategy is presented allowing the formation of one dimensional (1D) inorganic crystals or core–shell nanotubular structures by using multiwall WS 2 nanotubes as host templates. Molten phase wetting with CsIresults in the formation of 1D crystal structures inside WS 2 nanocapillaries with a Moiré pattern. The relatively large diameter of the WS 2 nanotube (with inner and outer diameters of ca. 10 and 20 nm, respectively), allows a conformal folding of the guest PbI 2 layers (PbI 2 @WS 2 core–shell nanotubes) on the interior wall of the WS 2 nanotube‐template, thus leading to relatively defect‐free core–shell inorganic nanotubular structures, which have not been previously observed within carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Core–shell WS 2 @MoS 2 nanotubes can be obtained by the gas‐phase reaction of MoCl 5 with sulfur in the presence of WS 2 nanotubes. The mechanism of imbibition/solidification of the molten salt into the hollow cores of MoS 2 nanotubes has been studied by molecular dynamics simulations, showing major differences between layered compounds and those with quasi‐isotropic structure. Theoretical considerations also show the conditions for the stability of such core–shell 1D nanostructures. These new strategies can open up many possibilities for the synthesis of new nanotubular structures.