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Predicting whether aromatic molecules would prefer to enter a carbon nanotube: A density functional theory study
Author(s) -
Ahn DaeHwan,
Park Chiyoung,
Song JongWon
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of computational chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.907
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1096-987X
pISSN - 0192-8651
DOI - 10.1002/jcc.26173
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , density functional theory , molecule , computational chemistry , nanotube , chemical physics , aromaticity , nanotechnology , chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry
The interaction of a carbon nanotube (CNT) with various aromatic molecules, such as aniline, benzophenone, and diphenylamine, was studied using density functional theory able to compute intermolecular weak interactions (B3LYP‐D3). CNTs of varying lengths were used, such as 4‐CNT, 6‐CNT, and 8‐CNT (the numbers denoting relative lengths), with the lengths being chosen appropriately to save computation times. All aromatic molecules were found to exhibit strong intermolecular binding energies with the inner surface of the CNT, rather than the outer surface. Hydrogen bonding between two aromatic molecules that include N and O atoms is shown to further stabilize the intermolecular adsorption process. Therefore, when benzophenone and diphenylamine were simultaneously allowed to interact with a CNT, the aromatic molecules were expected to preferably enter the CNT. Furthermore, additional calculations of the intermolecular adsorption energy for aniline adsorbed on a graphene surface showed that the concavity of graphene‐like carbon sheet is in proportion to the intermolecular binding energy between the graphene‐like carbon sheet and the aromatic molecule.