Final Report Summary - INTIF (Inorganic nanotubes and fullerene-like materials: new synthetic strategies lead to new materials)
The ERC-AdG INTIF 226639 project was aimed at establishing new frontiers in the synthesis and properties of nanomaterials from compounds with layered structure, like MoS2. This was a truly demanding task, from any possible aspect, but nonetheless it turned out to be a truly rewarding and fulfilling project. The high-temperature synthesis of hollow-closed nanoparticles, such as nanotubes and fullerene-like structures is dictated by a fast kinetics which is very difficult to control. Therefore in most cases the synthesis is based on a (judicious) trial and error approach, which is sometime erratic and is highly demanding. The atomistic quantum mechanical calculations of nanoparticles made of heavy atoms and containing a few hundreds to a few thousands atoms is also very demanding. Finally, even for the best electron microscope available today (possibly the PICO in Jülich with 50 pm resolution) there is the challenge to resolve the atomic structure of a nanotube which is made of a few wrapped walls and lacks the translational symmetry, like epitaxial layers.
A number of new synthetic strategies were developed during this project, some of which will have direct bearing on ubiquitous consumer products, like superior lubricants, lighter and stronger polymer nanocomposites, etc. Thus new synthetic approaches to obtain core-shell nanotubes, like PbI2@WS2 nanotubes, were developed. In another development, focused solar light in combination with metallic catalyst led to the high temperature (>2500 °C) growth of a variety of nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles which could not be obtained at temperatures below 1700 °C. We believe that this process may one day lead to the commercialization of MoS2 nanotubes for polymer reinforcement or even for electronics. The synthesis of rhenium-doped nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles produced new solid lubricant with unprecedently low friction and wear. This new solid lubricant is likely to replace one day the currently available WS2-based (undoped) IF nanoparticles, which were synthesized first in Tenne’s laboratory and were commercialized by “NanoMaterials Ltd”. as solid lubricant. Elucidating the mechanistic aspects of the WS2 nanotubes growth led to their large-scale synthesis and their future commercialization for reinforcement of different polymer nanocomposites. The synthesis of nanotubes from variety of compounds with the “misfit” compounds having the formula MX-TX2 (M=Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi and lanthanide atoms ; T=Nb, Ta, V, Cr, lanthanide atoms and X=S,Se) was accomplished only recently and could lead to numerous physical observations. In particular, many of these compounds are semiconductor at room temperature and become superconducting at low temperatures. They combine magnetic moments with optically excitable electrons. Unlike other 1-D nanostructures, like nanowires, these nanotubes have (almost) defect-free surfaces, making them suitable for the study of the physics in 1-D. These studies may offer the misfit nanotubes various applications, such as sensors, actuators, memristors, magneto-optical devices and even spintronics.
No doubt this project would not be as successful without the intimate collaboration between the three groups, combining synthesis, electron microscopy and theory, which provided complementary information on these nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles. We therefore believe that the project has achieved most if not all its expectations contributing to the science of nanostructures and indirectly to many applications.
A number of new synthetic strategies were developed during this project, some of which will have direct bearing on ubiquitous consumer products, like superior lubricants, lighter and stronger polymer nanocomposites, etc. Thus new synthetic approaches to obtain core-shell nanotubes, like PbI2@WS2 nanotubes, were developed. In another development, focused solar light in combination with metallic catalyst led to the high temperature (>2500 °C) growth of a variety of nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles which could not be obtained at temperatures below 1700 °C. We believe that this process may one day lead to the commercialization of MoS2 nanotubes for polymer reinforcement or even for electronics. The synthesis of rhenium-doped nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles produced new solid lubricant with unprecedently low friction and wear. This new solid lubricant is likely to replace one day the currently available WS2-based (undoped) IF nanoparticles, which were synthesized first in Tenne’s laboratory and were commercialized by “NanoMaterials Ltd”. as solid lubricant. Elucidating the mechanistic aspects of the WS2 nanotubes growth led to their large-scale synthesis and their future commercialization for reinforcement of different polymer nanocomposites. The synthesis of nanotubes from variety of compounds with the “misfit” compounds having the formula MX-TX2 (M=Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi and lanthanide atoms ; T=Nb, Ta, V, Cr, lanthanide atoms and X=S,Se) was accomplished only recently and could lead to numerous physical observations. In particular, many of these compounds are semiconductor at room temperature and become superconducting at low temperatures. They combine magnetic moments with optically excitable electrons. Unlike other 1-D nanostructures, like nanowires, these nanotubes have (almost) defect-free surfaces, making them suitable for the study of the physics in 1-D. These studies may offer the misfit nanotubes various applications, such as sensors, actuators, memristors, magneto-optical devices and even spintronics.
No doubt this project would not be as successful without the intimate collaboration between the three groups, combining synthesis, electron microscopy and theory, which provided complementary information on these nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles. We therefore believe that the project has achieved most if not all its expectations contributing to the science of nanostructures and indirectly to many applications.