title: Insight in the 3D morphology of silica-based nanotubes using electron microscopy.
abstract: Amorphous silica-based nanotubes (SBNTs) were synthesized from phosphoryl triamide, OP(NH2)3, thiophosphoryl triamide, SP(NH2)3, and silicon tetrachloride, SiCl4, at different temperatures and with varying amount of the starting material SiCl4using a recently developed template-free synthesis approach. Diameter and length of the SBNTs are tunable by varying the synthesis parameters. The 3D mesocrystals of the SBNTs were analyzed with focused ion beam sectioning and electron tomography in the transmission electron microscope showing the hollow tubular structure of the SBNTs. The reconstruction of a small SBNT assembly was achieved from a high-angle annular-dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy tilt series containing only thirteen images allowing analyzing beam sensitive material without altering the structure. The reconstruction revealed that the individual nanotubes are forming an interconnected array with an open channel structure.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: teresa.dennenwaldt@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dennenwaldt
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wisnet
authors.affiliation: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Nanotechnology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sedlmaier
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Döblinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schnick
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheu
keywords: Electron tomography; Nanotubes; Template-free synthesis; Tuning