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Diameter-selective encapsulation of metallocenes in single-walled carbon nanotubes

Nature Materials volume 4, pages 481–485 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Encapsulation of organic molecules in carbon nanotubes has opened a new route for the fabrication of hybrid nanostructures. Here we show that diameter-selective encapsulation of two metallocene compounds bis(cyclopentadienyl) cobalt and bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl) cobalt has been observed in single-walled carbon nanotubes. In particular, bis(cyclopentadienyl) cobalt is observed to fill only nanotubes of one specific diameter. Electron transfer from the cobalt ions to the nanotubes has been directly observed through a change in the charge state of the encapsulated molecules. The filling of the tubes is found to induce a red-shift of the photoluminescence emission, which is attributed to the formation of localized impurity states below the conduction band of the nanotubes.

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Figure 1: TEM micrographs of CoCp2 and Co(EtCp)2 molecules encapsulated in carbon nanotubes.
Figure 2: EDX and absorption spectra showing the encapsulation of CoCp2 and Co(EtCp)2 molecules.
Figure 3: Comparison of photoluminescence from CoCp2@CNT, Co(EtCp)2@CNT and the reference sample.
Figure 4: Comparison of absorption and Raman spectra.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge with thanks the support from C. Pears and D.W. Hsu for the provision of the ultracentrifuge facilities. L.J.L. would thank the Swire Group for financial support. A.N.K. thanks the funding from DTI, EPSRC, Hitachi Europe and The Leverhulme Trust.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK

    Lain-Jong Li, J. G. Wiltshire & R. J. Nicholas

  2. Department of Materials, Oxford University, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK

    A. N. Khlobystov & G. A. D. Briggs

  3. School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

    A. N. Khlobystov

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  1. Lain-Jong Li
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Correspondence to R. J. Nicholas.

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Li, LJ., Khlobystov, A., Wiltshire, J. et al. Diameter-selective encapsulation of metallocenes in single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nature Mater 4, 481–485 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1396

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