Ultrathin nanowires grown inside carbon nanotubes are more stable than those grown with other techniques.
Nanoelectronic devices rely on the confinement of electrons in one or more dimensions so that they show novel quantum properties. Nanowires just a few atoms thick are expected to be key components in future nanoelectronic devices, but most of the ultrathin nanowires that have been made so far tend to be both structurally and chemically unstable. Now, Ryo Kitaura of Nagoya University and co-workers have shown that ultrathin metal nanowires can remain stable for long periods if they are grown inside a carbon nanotube1.
The researchers heated carbon nanotubes and europium metal powder together in a glass tube. They found that the europium vaporized to form nanowires inside the carbon nanotubes in a process that the team has called a 'nanofilling' reaction. By using nanotubes of different diameters, Kitaura and co-workers produced europium nanowires of several sizes, including a nanowire that consisted of just a single chain of atoms. All the nanowires remained stable even when exposed to ultrasound or left in the air for one month, thanks to their protective nanotube sheaths.
This nanofilling method could be applied to any metals with a low sublimation temperature such as samarium, ytterbium or strontium.
References
Kitaura, R. et al. High-yield synthesis of ultrathin metal nanowires in carbon nanotubes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 10.1002/anie.200902615 (2009).
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Reid, T. Inside track. Nature Nanotech (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2009.317
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2009.317
