Synthesis, characterization, and manipulation of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube cups.

Isolated, carbon nanotube cups with diameters of 12-40 nm have been synthesized by chemical vapor deposition through incorporation of nitrogen atoms into graphitic carbon structure and subsequent mechanical separation. Incorporation of nitrogen affords carbon nanotube cups with a unique composition comprising multiwalled, graphitic lattice with nitrogen groups on the exterior rim and hollow interior cavities. These nanostructures demonstrate the ability to participate in hydrogen bonding because of nitrogen functionalities on their open edges. Furthermore, reaction with these nitrogen functionalities results in the coupling of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) to the open rim of carbon nanotube cups. Through atomic force microscopy manipulation and adhesion force measurements, we compare the mobility of these structures on a hydrophilic surface before and after GNP coupling. Understanding of these forces will aid in useful nanostructure assembly for energy and biomedical applications.

[1]  V. Pérez-Luna,et al.  Surface-grafted hybrid material consisting of gold nanoparticles and dextran exhibits mobility and reversible aggregation on a surface. , 2007, Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids.

[2]  Stephan Marsch,et al.  Toward intelligent nanosize bioreactors: a pH-switchable, channel-equipped, functional polymer nanocontainer. , 2006, Nano letters.

[3]  E. Wang,et al.  ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF SHORT CARBON NANOBELLS , 2003 .

[4]  C. N. R. Rao,et al.  Science and technology of nanomaterials: current status and future prospects , 2001 .

[5]  E. Wang,et al.  Self-assembly of carbon nanohelices: Characteristics and field electron emission properties , 2004 .

[6]  S. Fukuzumi,et al.  Stacked-cup carbon nanotubes for photoelectrochemical solar cells. , 2006, Angewandte Chemie.

[7]  T. Ebbesen,et al.  Graphitic cones and the nucleation of curved carbon surfaces , 1997, Nature.

[8]  E. Wang,et al.  Lithium storage in polymerized carbon nitride nanobells , 2001 .

[9]  A. Dworak,et al.  Thermosensitive nanospheres of low-density core – An approach to hollow nanoparticles , 2008 .

[10]  X. Bai,et al.  Hydrogen storage in carbon nitride nanobells , 2001 .

[11]  Yoshinori Ando,et al.  Pentagons, heptagons and negative curvature in graphite microtubule growth , 1992, Nature.

[12]  S. Iijima.  Helical microtubules of graphitic carbon , 1991, Nature.

[13]  R. Neuman,et al.  New Approach to the Study of Particle-Surface Adhesion Using Atomic Force Microscopy. , 2000, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[14]  Ingolf Mönch,et al.  Synthesis of Ferromagnetic Filled Carbon Nanotubes and their Biomedical Application , 2006 .

[15]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  Structural characterization of cup-stacked-type nanofibers with an entirely hollow core , 2002 .

[16]  Harald Fuchs,et al.  Interfacial friction obtained by lateral manipulation of nanoparticles using atomic force microscopy techniques , 2007 .

[17]  Takashi Yanagisawa,et al.  High performance of cup-stacked-type carbon nanotubes as a Pt–Ru catalyst support for fuel cell applications , 2004 .

[18]  B. Sumpter,et al.  Nitrogen-mediated carbon nanotube growth: diameter reduction, metallicity, bundle dispersability, and bamboo-like structure formation. , 2007, ACS nano.

[19]  Xingao Gong,et al.  A nanocontainer for the storage of hydrogen , 2007 .

[20]  C N R Rao,et al.  Nitrogen- and boron-doped double-walled carbon nanotubes. , 2007, ACS nano.

[21]  Andre K. Geim,et al.  Two-dimensional atomic crystals. , 2005, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[22]  S. C. O'brien,et al.  C60: Buckminsterfullerene , 1985, Nature.

[23]  Vincent Meunier,et al.  Enhancement of the transverse conductance in DNA nucleotides. , 2008, The Journal of chemical physics.

[24]  Thierry Baron,et al.  Atomic force microscopy nanomanipulation of silicon nanocrystals for nanodevice fabrication , 2003 .

[25]  M. Yudasaka,et al.  Nano-aggregates of single-walled graphitic carbon nano-horns , 1999 .

[26]  A. Rao,et al.  Coating single-walled carbon nanotubes with phospholipids. , 2006, The journal of physical chemistry. B.

[27]  Charles M. Lieber,et al.  Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube AFM Probes: Optimal Imaging Resolution of Nanoclusters and Biomolecules in Ambient and Fluid Environments , 2004 .

[28]  E. Wang,et al.  Scanning tunneling microscopy study of polymerized carbon nanobells: Electronic effect and evidence of nitrogen incorporation , 2002 .

[29]  E. Wang,et al.  Size-controlled short nanobells: Growth and formation mechanism , 2000 .

[30]  D. Ugarte.  Curling and closure of graphitic networks under electron-beam irradiation , 1992, Nature.

[31]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  Selective and Efficient Impregnation of Metal Nanoparticles on Cup-Stacked-Type Carbon Nanofibers , 2003 .

[32]  C. Boothroyd,et al.  Dynamical observation of bamboo-like carbon nanotube growth. , 2007, Nano letters.

[33]  Kunihiro Yamada,et al.  Estimation of Surface Oxide on Surfactant-Free Gold Nanoparticles Laser-Ablated in Water , 2007 .

[34]  N. Xu,et al.  Polymerized carbon nanobells and their field-emission properties , 1999 .