A study for the control of carbon nanotubes using heterogeneous catalysts and the heterogeneity of metal organic frameworks within order

Abstract

Nano-scale materials are most promising candidates for next generation technology. Generally, many researchers in this field are focused on how to synthesize heterogeneous material or how to arrange particles within regular order, separately. Surprisingly, little is known about how to introduce heterogeneity into every nano-scale particle without losing their original properties and regular arrangement. Strategies for making heterogeneous nano-materials within regular order, to give them homogeneous multi-functionality and to maximize their functions, are largely absent. It is expected that many different component and structure in a heterogeneous material, in which variously compartments are directly linked, can be design to have various functionalities allowing them to operate independently in a single body and even can create unique functions by combining several different components and functions in a new way, like in nature. Moreover, regular arrangement of heterogeneous particles having multi-components can attribute on the homogeneous reaction in every region, thus maximize the efficiency of heterogeneous nano-architecture. We believe that vast opportunity exist for developing various synthetic methods which arrange materials in regular and specific position while being amenable to the introduction of heterogeneous structure within every single materials. In case of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), there is a great interest to synthesis of controlled way with unique structures. This is because the functionality of a CNT can be significantly tailored by control of its composition, diameter, and number of walls. Therefore, it is necessary to develop superior catalysts using heterogeneous catalysts within order in order to control CNT structure for desired functionality. As a first case of heterogeneous nanocatalyst arrangement, exposed-core/shell (ECS) catalyst nanoparticles was designed and used for a facile route to exclusively control the number of walls in CN...