title: Synthesis of methane in nanotube channels by a flash.
abstract: Inorganic synthesis of organic molecules is a significant step for the primordial life. Generally, inorganic synthesis of methane necessitates, in addition to catalyst, a high-temperature and high-pressure environment. Here we will show that such an environment could be locally and instantly realized in the channels of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) even under room temperature and ultrahigh vacuum conditions just by a visible-light flash, owing to the ultra-photothermal effect of nanomaterials. As a result, methane signals were definitely detected by using a quadrupole mass spectrometer and an optical fiber spectrometer. The mechanisms were interpreted as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Our results provide an alternative explanation of abiogenic methane origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. guodz@pku.edu.cn
authors.forename: Deng-Zhu
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zeng-Quan
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Geng-Min
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhao-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhen-Nan
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Gu