Filling Carbon Nanotubes with Co9S8 Nanowires through in Situ Catalyst Transition and Extrusion

J. Phys. Chem. C, 112 (6), 1890 -1895, 2008. 10.1021/jp710543u S1932-7447(71)00543-0
Web Release Date: January 18, 2008

Filling Carbon Nanotubes with Co₉S₈ Nanowires through in Situ Catalyst Transition and Extrusion

Gaohui Du, Wenzhi Li,* and Yanqing Liu

Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, and Advanced Materials and Engineering Research Institute, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33174

Received: November 1, 2007

In Final Form: November 15, 2007

Abstract:

We describe the synthesis of novel Co₉S₈-nanowire-filled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by a simple method involving the pyrolysis of thiophene on cobalt catalyst in a conventional chemical vapor decomposition system. The encapsulated Co₉S₈ nanowires are single-crystalline, and their lengths are about 10 m with their [110] direction parallel to the axis of the CNTs. Detailed investigation suggests that the filling of the Co₉S₈ nanowires results from the volume increase induced by a phase transition from cobalt to cobalt sulfide together with the in situ extruding action of CNTs as nanomolds. A new filling mechanism is thus found and proposed.

Download the full text: PDF | HTML