Size-Dependent Structure Relations between Nanotubes and Encapsulated Nanocrystals
- Author(s)
- Andrei A. Eliseev, Nikolay S. Falaleev, Nikolay I. Verbitskiy, Andrei A. Volykhov, Lada V. Yashina, Andrei S. Kumskov, Victoria G. Zhigalina, Alexander L. Vasiliev, Alexey V. Lukashin, Jeremy Sloan, Nikolay A. Kiselev
- Abstract
The structural organization of compounds in a confined space of nanometer-scale cavities is of fundamental importance for understanding the basic principles for atomic structure design at the nanolevel. Here, we explore size-dependent structure relations between one-dimensional PbTe nanocrystals and carbon nanotube containers in the diameter range of 2.0-1.25 nm using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and ab initio calculations. Upon decrease of the confining volume, one-dimensional crystals reveal gradual thinning, with the structure being cut from the bulk in either a <110> or a <100> growth direction until a certain limit of ∼1.3 nm. This corresponds to the situation when a stoichiometric (uncharged) crystal does not fit into the cavity dimensions. As a result of the in-tube charge compensation, one-dimensional superstructures with nanometer-scale atomic density modulations are formed by a periodic addition of peripheral extra atoms to the main motif. Structural changes in the crystallographic configuration of the composites entail the redistribution of charge density on single-walled carbon nanotube walls and the possible appearance of the electron density wave. The variation of the potential attains 0.4 eV, corresponding to charge density fluctuations of 0.14 e/atom.
- Organisation(s)
- Electronic Properties of Materials
- External organisation(s)
- Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, University of Warwick
- Journal
- Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology
- Volume
- 17
- Pages
- 805-810
- No. of pages
- 6
- ISSN
- 1530-6984
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04031
- Publication date
- 02-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103020 Surface physics, 103018 Materials physics, 103009 Solid state physics
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Condensed Matter Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering, General Chemistry, General Materials Science
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/ee85b610-0aca-4874-87f5-3dc690564cb6