title: Reducing reaction of Fe3O4 in nanoscopic reactors of a-CNTs.
abstract: A reduction of Fe3O4 nanowires in nanoscopic reactors of amorphous C:H nanotubes (a-CNTs) was taken to understand features of the chemical reaction mechanism in nanoscale reactors. Fe3O4 nanowires encapsulated in a-CNTs were reduced into iron at a relatively low temperature of 570 degrees C, producing iron nanoparticles encapsulated in CNTs accompanied by the crystallization of the a-CNT shell. It was found that carbon in the a-CNT shell rather than hydrogen (5.5 wt % in it) reduced Fe3O4, showing features different from those in a macroscopic system. The possible mechanisms behind this phenomenon are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230026, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fangyu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Kaifu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Aimei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Changle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Quanxin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qianwang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen