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Filling of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and extraction of the encapsulated species from their cavities are perspective treatments for tuning the functional properties of SWCNT-based materials. Here, we have investigated sulfur-modified SWCNTs synthesized by the ampoule method. The morphology and chemical states of carbon and sulfur were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies. Successful encapsulation of sulfur inside SWCNTs cavities was demonstrated. The peculiarities of interactions of SWCNTs with encapsulated and external sulfur species were analyzed in details. In particular, the donor-acceptor interaction between encapsulated sulfur and host SWCNT is experimentally demonstrated. The sulfur-filled SWCNTs were continuously irradiated in situ with polychromatic photon beam of high intensity. Comparison of X-ray spectra of the samples before and after the treatment revealed sulfur transport from the interior to the surface of SWCNTs bundles, in particular extraction of sulfur from the SWCNT cavity. These results show that the moderate heating of filled nanotubes could be used to de-encapsulate the guest species tuning the local composition, and hence, the functional properties of SWCNT-based materials.

The catalytic subnanometric metal clusters with a few atoms can be regarded as an intermediate state between single atoms and metal nanoparticles (>1 nm). Their molecule-like electronic structures and flexible geometric structures bring rich chemistry and also a different catalytic behavior, in comparison with the single-atom or nanoparticulate counterparts. In this work, by combination of operando IR spectroscopy techniques and electronic structure calculations, we will show a comparative study on Pt catalysts for CO + NO reaction at a very low temperature range (140-200 K). It has been found that single Pt atoms immobilized on MCM-22 zeolite are not stable under reaction conditions and agglomerate into Pt nanoclusters and particles, which are the working active sites for CO + NO reaction. In the case of the catalyst containing Pt nanoparticles (~2 nm), the oxidation of CO to CO2 occurs in a much lower extension, and Pt nanoparticles become poisoned under reaction conditions because of a strong interaction with CO and NO. Therefore, only subnanometric Pt clusters allow NO dissociation at a low temperature and CO oxidation to occur well on the surface, while CO interaction is weak enough to avoid catalyst poisoning, resulting in a good balance to achieve enhanced catalytic performance.

Laser-deposited carbon aerogel is a low-density porous network of carbon clusters synthesized using a laser process. A one-step synthesis, involving deposition and annealing, results in the formation of a thin porous conductive film which can be applied as a chemiresistor. This material is sensitive to NO2 compared to ammonia and other volatile organic compounds and is able to detect ultra-low concentrations down to at least 10 parts-per-billion. The sensing mechanism, based on the solubility of NO2 in the water layer adsorbed on the aerogel, increases the usability of the sensor in practically relevant ambient environments. A heating step, achieved in tandem with a microheater, allows the recovery to the baseline, making it operable in real world environments. This, in combination with its low cost and scalable production, makes it promising for Internet-of-Things air quality monitoring.

We present the analysis of a family of nanotubes (NTs) based on the quaternary misfit layered compound (MLC) YxLa1–xS-TaS2. The NTs were successfully synthesized within the whole range of possible compositions via the chemical vapor transport technique. In-depth analysis of the NTs using electron microscopy and spectroscopy proves the in-phase (partial) substitution of La by Y in the (La,Y)S subsystem and reveals structural changes compared to the previously reported LaS-TaS2 MLC-NTs. The observed structure can be linked to the slightly different lattice parameters of LaS and YS. Raman spectroscopy and infrared transmission measurements reveal the tunability of the plasmonic and vibrational properties. Density-functional theory calculations showed that the YxLa1–xS-TaS2 MLCs are stable in all compositions. Moreover, the calculations indicated that substitution of La by Sc atoms is electronically not favorable, which explains our failed attempt to synthesize these MLC and NTs thereof., A.E. acknowledges the support by Act 211 Government of the Russian Federation, Contract No. 02.A03.21.0006. The support of the Israel Science Foundation (Grant No. 7130970101), Irving and Cherna Moskowitz Center for Nano and Bio-Nano Imaging, and the Perlman Family Foundation and the Kimmel Center for Nanoscale Science (Grant No. 43535000350000) is greatly acknowledged. R.A. gratefully acknowledges the support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through Project Grant MAT2016-79776-P (AEI/FEDER, UE) and from the European Union H2020 program “ESTEEM3” (823717). S.H. acknowledges funding by the German Research Foundation (HE 7675/1-1). I.P. is the incumbent of the Sharon Zuckerman Research Fellow Chair.

The effective removal of chemisorbed water in graphene oxide by oxidized carbon nanotubes via cooperatively strengthened OH···OC hydrogen bonds., Owing to their great significance for energy storage and sensing applications, multi-layer papers consisting of graphene oxide–carbon nanotube (GO–CNT) hybrid sheets were prepared by in situ exfoliation of graphite oxide in the presence of oxidized CNTs (oCNTs). For the first time we elucidate the influence of oCNTs on chemisorbed water (CW), i.e. the water molecules inherently bound to the oxygen functional groups (OFGs) of graphene oxide (GO) and responsible for irreversible structural damage upon thermal reduction processes. We show that oCNTs self-assemble onto GO sheets during the liquid phase processing steps by forming cooperatively strengthened OH···OC hydrogen bonds between the carboxylic groups of the oCNTs and OFGs of GO. At oCNT amounts of about 10 to 15 wt% this leads to the displacement of considerable amounts of CW without altering the original chemical composition of GO. The thermally reduced GO–CNT (rGO–CNT) papers reveal improved sp2 character and an enhancement of the specific capacitance by 75% with respect to thermally reduced GO (rGO), largely due to the effective removal of CW by oxidized CNTs. These findings disclose the relevance of the cooperative hydrogen bonding phenomena in graphene oxide paper/film electrodes for the development of improved electrochemical energy storage and sensing devices.

Identification of active sites in heterogeneous metal catalysts is critical for understanding the reaction mechanism at the molecular level and for designing more efficient catalysts. Because of their structural flexibility, subnanometric metal catalysts, including single atoms and clusters with a few atoms, can exhibit dynamic structural evolution when interacting with substrate molecules, making it difficult to determine the catalytically active sites. In this work, Pt catalysts containing selected types of Pt entities (from single atoms to clusters and nanoparticles) have been prepared, and their evolution has been followed, while they were reacting in a variety of heterogeneous catalytic reactions, including selective hydrogenation reactions, CO oxidation, dehydrogenation of propane, and photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction. By in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in situ IR spectroscopy, and high-resolution electron microscopy techniques, we will show that some characterization techniques carried out in an inadequate way can introduce confusion on the interpretation of coordination environment of highly dispersed Pt species. Finally, the combination of catalytic reactivity and in situ characterization techniques shows that, depending on the catalyst-reactant interaction and metal-support interaction, singly dispersed metal atoms can rapidly evolve into metal clusters or nanoparticles, being the working active sites for those abovementioned heterogeneous reactions.

We report direct and unambiguous evidence of the existence of inner semiconducting tube (ISCT) photoluminescence (PL) from measurements performed on four individual freestanding index-identified double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs). Based on thorough Rayleigh scattering, Raman scattering, and PL experiments, we are able to demonstrate that the ISCT PL is observed with a quantum yield estimated to be a few 10-6 independent of the semiconducting or metallic nature of the outer tube. This result is mainly attributed to ultrafast exciton transfer from the inner to outer tube. Furthermore, by carrying out PL excitation experiments on the (14, 1)@(15, 12) DWNT, we show that the ISCT PL can be detected through the optical excitation of the outer tube, indicating that the exciton transfer can also occur in the opposite way.

We report on the optoelectronic properties of a recently discovered nanotubular phase of misfit-layered calcium cobalt oxide, CaCoO2-CoO2. Individual nanotubes are investigated by spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy experiments performed in a transmission electron microscope, and complementary first-principles, time-dependent hybrid density-functional theory calculations are performed to elucidate the electronic structure and optical spectra. We find that the band gap is independent of the geometry of the nanotubes, and experimental and calculated results independently confirm an optical gap of 1.9-2.1 eV for the CaCoO2-CoO2 nanotubes. The time-dependent hybrid density-functional theory calculations also suggest the existence of strongly bound intralayer excitons (up to 0.5 eV binding energy), which could allow for optoelectronic applications of these nanotubes at near-infrared to visible (similar to 1.5-2 eV) wavelengths. Published by AIP Publishing.

σσ. 19-25 Microchemical Journal; Vol. 138 (2018)

The covalent functionalization of exfoliated semiconducting MoS2 by 1, 2-dithiolanes bearing an ethylene glycol alkyl chain terminated to a butoxycarbonyl-protected amine and a photoactive pyrene moiety is accomplished. The MoS2-based nanohybrids were fully characterized by complementary spectroscopic, thermal, and microscopy techniques. Markedly, density functional theoretical studies combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrate preferential edge functionalization, primarily via sulfur addition along partially sulfur saturated zig-zag MoS2 molybdenum-edges, preserving intact the 2D basal structure of functionalized MoS2-based nanohybrids as confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Furthermore, in the MoS2-pyrene hybrid, appreciable electronic interactions at the excited state between the photoactive pyrene and the semiconducting MoS2 were revealed as inferred by steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, implying its high potentiality to function in energy conversion schemes.

The intensities of electron diffraction patterns from individual (single-, double-walled) boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) as well as from bundles of these tubes have been recorded. The helicities have been systematically measured, and the diameter and the chiral indices have been determined. The analysis of 121 nanotubes reveals that 12% of the tubes are zigzag, while the distribution of the other helicities is uniform. The large value of the intertube distance and the significant difference of the chiral angle between the two constituent tubes in double-walled BNNTs indicate a lower interaction between the BN sheets than in bulk hexagonal BN.

The phonon dispersion relations of bulk hexagonal boron nitride have been determined from inelastic x-ray scattering measurements and analyzed by ab initio calculations. Experimental data and calculations show an outstanding agreement and reconcile the controversies raised by recent experimental data obtained by electron-energy loss spectroscopy and second-order Raman scattering.

Bulk and nanoscale molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) has shown impressive technologically relevant properties, but deeper investigation into 2D MoO3 has been prevented by the lack of reliable vapor-based synthesis and doping techniques. Herein, the successful synthesis of high-quality, few-layer MoO3 down to bilayer thickness via physical vapor deposition is reported. The electronic structure of MoO3 can be strongly modified by introducing oxygen substoichiometry (MoO3- x), which introduces gap states and increases conductivity. A dose-controlled electron irradiation technique to introduce oxygen vacancies into the few-layer MoO3 structure is presented, thereby adding n-type doping. By combining in situ transport with core-loss and monochromated low-loss scanning transmission electron microscopy–electron energy-loss spectroscopy studies, a detailed structure–property relationship is developed between Mo-oxidation state and resistance. Transport properties are reported for MoO3- x down to three layers thick, the most 2D-like MoO3- x transport hitherto reported. Combining these results with density functional theory calculations, a radiolysis-based mechanism for the irradiation-induced oxygen vacancy introduction is developed, including insights into favorable configurations of oxygen defects. These systematic studies represent an important step forward in bringing few-layer MoO3 and MoO3- x into the 2D family, as well as highlight the promise of MoO3- x as a functional, tunable electronic material.

We examine the excitonic nature of the E33 optical transition of the individual free-standing index-identified (23, 7) single-walled carbon nanotube by means of the measurements of its radial-breathing-mode and G-mode Raman excitation profiles. We confirm that it is impossible to determine unambiguously the nature of its E33 optical transition (excitonic vs band to band) based only on the excitation profiles. Nevertheless, by combining Raman scattering, Rayleigh scattering, and optical absorption measurements on strictly the same individual (23, 7) single-walled carbon nanotube, we show that the absorption, Rayleigh spectra, and Raman excitation profiles of the longitudinal and transverse G modes are best fitted by considering the nature of the E33 transition as excitonic. The fit of the three sets of data gives close values of the transition energy E33 and damping parameter G33. This comparison shows that the fit of the Raman excitation profiles provides with good accuracy the energy and damping parameter of the excitonic optical transitions in single-walled carbon nanotubes.