Engineering low-aspect ratio carbon nanostructures: nanocups, nanorings, and nanocontainers.
The synthesis of carbon nanostructures, with interesting morphologies, has created a revolution in nanotechnology; carbon nanotube is a case in point, but other nanoscale morphologies of graphitic carbon could provide compelling uses. In particular short structures, including very short nanotubes, have proven impossible to be grown by existing techniques due to the difficulty in controlling and terminating growth during initial stages. Here we present architectures engineered from graphitic carbon, having up to 10(5) times smaller length/diameter (L/D) ratios compared to conventional nanotubes, revealing unique morphologies of nanocups, nanorings, and large area connected nanocup arrays. Such highly engineered hollow nanostructures were fabricated using precisely controlled short nanopores inside anodic aluminum oxide templates. The nanocups were effectively used to hold and contain other nanomaterials, for example, metal nanoparticles, leading to the formation of multicomponent hybrid nanostructures with unusual morphologies. The results reported here open up possibilities to integrate new morphologies of graphitic carbon in nanotechnology applications.
Chun
Hyunkyung
H
Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Hahm
Myung Gwan
MG
Homma
Yoshikazu
Y
Meritz
Rebecca
R
Kuramochi
Koji
K
Menon
Latika
L
Ci
Lijie
L
Ajayan
Pulickel M
PM
Jung
Yung Joon
YJ
D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D002244:Carbon