Clean Nanotube Unzipping by Abrupt Thermal Expansion of Molecular Nitrogen: Graphene Nanoribbons with Atomically Smooth Edges

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• 作者：Aar贸n Morelos-G贸mez ; Sofia Magdalena Vega-D铆az ; Viviana Jehov谩 Gonz谩lez ; Ferdinando Trist谩n-L贸pez ; Rodolfo Cruz-Silva ; Kazunori Fujisawa ; Hiroyuki Muramatsu ; Takuya Hayashi ; Xi Mi ; Yunfeng Shi ; Hirotoshi Sakamoto ; Fitri Khoerunnisa ; Katsumi Kaneko ; Bobby G. Sumpter ; Yoong Ahm Kim ; Vincent Meunier ; Morinobu Endo ; Emilio Mu帽oz-Sandoval ; Mauricio Terrones
• 刊名：ACS Nano
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：March 27, 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：6
• 期：3
• 页码：2261-2272
• 全文大小：724K
• 年卷期：v.6,no.3(March 27, 2012)
• ISSN：1936-086X

文摘

We report a novel physicochemical route to produce highly crystalline nitrogen-doped graphene nanoribbons. The technique consists of an abrupt N₂ gas expansion within the hollow core of nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CN_x-MWNTs) when exposed to a fast thermal shock. The multiwalled nanotube unzipping mechanism is rationalized using molecular dynamics and density functional theory simulations, which highlight the importance of open-ended nanotubes in promoting the efficient introduction of N₂ molecules by capillary action within tubes and surface defects, thus triggering an efficient and atomically smooth unzipping. The so-produced nanoribbons could be few-layered (from graphene bilayer onward) and could exhibit both crystalline zigzag and armchair edges. In contrast to methods developed previously, our technique presents various advantages: (1) the tubes are not heavily oxidized; (2) the method yields sharp atomic edges within the resulting nanoribbons; (3) the technique could be scaled up for the bulk production of crystalline nanoribbons from available MWNT sources; and (4) this route could eventually be used to unzip other types of carbon nanotubes or intercalated layered materials such as BN, MoS₂, WS₂, etc.

Keywords:

carbon nanoribbon; carbon nanotube; molecular expansion; nitrogen-doped; unzipping