Self-assembled hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene graphitic nanotube.
An amphiphilic hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene self-assembles to form a pi-electronic, discrete nanotubular object. The object is characterized by an aspect ratio greater than 1000 and has a uniform, 14-nanometer-wide, open-ended hollow space, which is an order of magnitude larger than those of carbon nanotubes. The wall is 3 nanometers thick and consists of helical arrays of the pi-stacked graphene molecule, whose exterior and interior surfaces are covered by hydrophilic triethylene glycol chains. The graphitic nanotube is redox active, and a single piece of the nanotube across 180-nanometer-gap electrodes shows, upon oxidation, an electrical resistance of 2.5 megohms at 285 kelvin [corrected]. This family of molecularly engineered graphite with a one-dimensional tubular shape and a chemically accessible surface constitutes an important step toward molecular electronics.
Hill
Jonathan P
JP
Aida Nanospace Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, 2-41 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan.
Jin
Wusong
W
Kosaka
Atsuko
A
Fukushima
Takanori
T
Ichihara
Hideki
H
Shimomura
Takeshi
T
Ito
Kohzo
K
Hashizume
Tomihiro
T
Ishii
Noriyuki
N
Aida
Takuzo
T