title: Artificial lamellar mesostructures to WS(2) nanotubes.
abstract: A direct pyrolysis method from artificial lamellar mesostructures to nanotubes was developed for the synthesis of tungsten disulfide (WS(2)) nanotubes. In this process, a tungsten sulfide artificial lamellar mesostructure composite with intercalated cetyltrimethylammonium cations (WS-L) was prepared on the basis of the recently developed template self-assembly of anionic tungstates (WS(4)(2-)) and cationic surfactant molecules (CTA(+)) in solution under appropriate conditions. After heating of this inorganic-surfactant lamellar composite material in an argon atmosphere to 850 degrees C, bulk quantities of uniform WS(2) nanotubes with diameters of 5-37.5 nm and lengths ranging from 0.2 to 5 microm were produced, which revealed a general rolling mechanism of layered sheets for tubule formation. The observations of transmission electron microscopy are in good agreement with the proposed rolling mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Atomic & Molecular Nanosciences, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yadong D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaolin L
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rongrui R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhaoxiang X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Deng