Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) possessing a confined inner space protected by chemically resistant shells are promising for delivery, storage, and desorption of various compounds, as well as carrying out specific reactions. Here, we show that SWCNTs interact with molten mercury dichloride (HgCl) and guide its transformation into dimercury dichloride (HgCl) in the cavity. The chemical state of host SWCNTs remains almost unchanged except for a small p-doping from the guest HgCl nanocrystals. The density functional theory calculations reveal that the encapsulated HgCl molecules become negatively charged and start interacting via chlorine bridges when local concentration increases. This reduces the bonding strength in HgCl, which facilitates removal of chlorine, finally leading to formation of HgCl species. The present work demonstrates that SWCNTs not only serve as a template for growing nanocrystals but also behave as an electron-transfer catalyst in the spatially confined redox reaction by donation of electron density for temporary use by the guests.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.7b04361 | DOI Listing |
Environ Toxicol Chem
January 2025
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, PR China.
In silico methods are increasingly important in predicting the ecotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), encompassing both individual and mixture toxicity predictions. It is widely recognized that ENMs trigger oxidative stress effects by generating intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), serving as a key mechanism in their cytotoxicity studies. However, existing in silico methods still face significant challenges in predicting the oxidative stress effects induced by ENMs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaterials (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Materials Science, Tokai University, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Kanagawa, Japan.
Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are significantly attractive for thermoelectric generators (TEGs), which convert thermal energy into electricity via the Seebeck effect. This is because the characteristics of semiconducting SWCNTs are perfectly suited for TEGs as self-contained power sources for sensors on the Internet of Things (IoT). However, the thermoelectric performances of the SWCNTs should be further improved by using the power sources.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolymers (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) exhibit distinct electronic properties, categorized as metallic or semiconducting, determined by their chirality. The precise and selective separation of these electronic types is pivotal for advancing nanotechnology applications. While conventional gel chromatography has been widely employed for large-scale separations, its limitations in addressing microscale dynamics and electronic-type differentiation have persisted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
December 2024
Department of Chemical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
Perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology holds great promise with continuously improving power conversion efficiency; however, the use of metal electrodes hinders its commercialization and the development of tandem designs. Although single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), as one-dimensional materials, have the potential to replace metal electrodes in PSCs, their poor conductivity still limits their application. In this study, the near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing anionic heptamethine cyanine dye-doped SWCNTs functioned in a dual role as an efficient charge-selective layer and electrode in PSCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanomaterials (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Chemistry, University of Sherbrooke, 2500, Blvd de l'Université, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada.
This study delves into the distinctive selective property exhibited by a non-conjugated cholesterol-based polymer, poly(CEM--EHA), in sorting semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) within isooctane. Comprised of 11 repeating units of cholesteryloxycarbonyl-2-hydroxy methacrylate (CEM) and 7 repeating units of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), this non-conjugated polymer demonstrates robust supramolecular interactions across the sp surface structure of carbon nanotubes and graphene. When coupled with the Double Liquid-Phase Extraction (DLPE) technology, the polymer effectively segregates s-SWCNTs into the isooctane phase (nonpolar) while excluding metallic SWCNTs (m-SWCNTs) in the water phase (polar).
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