Packing C60 in boron nitride nanotubes.
We have created insulated C60 nanowire by packing C60 molecules into the interior of insulating boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). For small-diameter BNNTs, the wire consists of a linear chain of C60 molecules.With increasing BNNT inner diameter, unusual C60 stacking configurations are obtained (including helical, hollow core, and incommensurate) that are unknown for bulk or thin-film forms of C60.C60 in BNNTs thus presents a model system for studying the properties of dimensionally constrained "silo" crystal structures. For the linear-chain case, we have fused the C60 molecules to form a single-walled carbon nanotube inside the insulating BNNT.
Mickelson
W
W
Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Aloni
S
S
Han
Wei-Qiang
WQ
Cumings
John
J
Zettl
A
A