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Sinitsa AS, Lebedeva IV, Polynskaya YG, de Oteyza DG, Ratkevich SV, Knizhnik AA, Popov AM, Poklonski NA, Lozovik YE. Transformation of a graphene nanoribbon into a hybrid 1D nanoobject with alternating double chains and polycyclic regions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:425-441. [PMID: 33319886 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp04090h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations show that a graphene nanoribbon with alternating regions which are one and three hexagons wide can transform into a hybrid 1D nanoobject with alternating double chains and polycyclic regions under electron irradiation in HRTEM. A scheme of synthesis of such a nanoribbon using Ullmann coupling and dehydrogenation reactions is proposed. The reactive REBO-1990EVC potential is adapted for simulations of carbon-hydrogen systems and is used in combination with the CompuTEM algorithm for modeling of electron irradiation effects. The atomistic mechanism of formation of the new hybrid 1D nanoobject is found to be the following. Firstly hydrogen is removed by electron impacts. Then spontaneous breaking of bonds between carbon atoms leads to the decomposition of narrow regions of the graphene nanoribbon into double chains. Simultaneously, thermally activated growth of polycyclic regions occurs. Density functional theory calculations give barriers along the growth path of polycyclic regions consistent with this mechanism. The electronic properties of the new 1D nanoobject are shown to be strongly affected by the edge magnetism and make this nanostructure promising for nanoelectronic and spintronic applications. The synthesis of the 1D nanoobject proposed here can be considered as an example of the general three-stage strategy of production of nanoobjects and macromolecules: (1) precursors are synthesized using a traditional chemical method, (2) precursors are placed in HRTEM with the electron energy that is sufficient only to remove hydrogen atoms, and (3) as a result of hydrogen removal, the precursors become unstable or metastable and transform into new nanoobjects or macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Sinitsa
- National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Kurchatov Square 1, Moscow 123182, Russia
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Sinitsa AS, Chamberlain TW, Zoberbier T, Lebedeva IV, Popov AM, Knizhnik AA, McSweeney RL, Biskupek J, Kaiser U, Khlobystov AN. Formation of Nickel Clusters Wrapped in Carbon Cages: Toward New Endohedral Metallofullerene Synthesis. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:1082-1089. [PMID: 28075593 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high potential of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) for application in biology, medicine and molecular electronics, and recent efforts in EMF synthesis, the variety of EMFs accessible by conventional synthetic methods remains limited and does not include, for example, EMFs of late transition metals. We propose a method in which EMF formation is initiated by electron irradiation in aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron spectroscopy (AC-HRTEM) of a metal cluster surrounded by amorphous carbon inside a carbon nanotube serving as a nanoreactor and apply this method for synthesis of nickel EMFs. The use of AC-HRTEM makes it possible not only to synthesize new, previously unattainable nanoobjects but also to study in situ the mechanism of structural transformations. Molecular dynamics simulations using the state-of-the-art approach for modeling the effect of electron irradiation are performed to rationalize the experimental observations and to link the observed processes with conditions of bulk EMF synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Sinitsa
- National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute" , Kurchatov Square 1, Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Thomas W Chamberlain
- Institute of Process Research and Development, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Thilo Zoberbier
- Group of Electron Microscopy of Materials Science, Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University , Albert Einstein Allee 11, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Irina V Lebedeva
- Nano-Bio Spectroscopy Group and ETSF, Universidad del País Vasco, CFM CSIC-UPV/EHU , San Sebastian 20018, Spain
| | - Andrey M Popov
- Institute for Spectroscopy of Russian Academy of Sciences , Fizicheskaya Street 5, Troitsk, Moscow 108840, Russia
| | - Andrey A Knizhnik
- National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute" , Kurchatov Square 1, Moscow 123182, Russia
- Kintech Lab Ltd. , 3rd Khoroshevskaya Street 12, Moscow 123298, Russia
| | - Robert L McSweeney
- School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham , University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes Biskupek
- Group of Electron Microscopy of Materials Science, Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University , Albert Einstein Allee 11, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Ute Kaiser
- Group of Electron Microscopy of Materials Science, Central Facility for Electron Microscopy, Ulm University , Albert Einstein Allee 11, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Andrei N Khlobystov
- School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham , University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
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Skowron ST, Lebedeva IV, Popov AM, Bichoutskaia E. Energetics of atomic scale structure changes in graphene. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:3143-76. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cs00499j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
An overview of theoretical and experimental studies concerned with energetics of atomic scale structure changes in graphene, including thermally activated and electron irradiation-induced processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina V. Lebedeva
- Nano-Bio Spectroscopy Group and ETSF Scientific Development Centre
- Departamento de Física de Materiales
- Universidad del Pais Vasco UPV/EHU
- San Sebastian E-20018
- Spain
| | - Andrey M. Popov
- Institute for Spectroscopy of Russian Academy of Sciences
- Moscow 142190
- Russia
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Lebedeva IV, Chamberlain TW, Popov AM, Knizhnik AA, Zoberbier T, Biskupek J, Kaiser U, Khlobystov AN. The atomistic mechanism of carbon nanotube cutting catalyzed by nickel under an electron beam. NANOSCALE 2014; 6:14877-14890. [PMID: 25363681 DOI: 10.1039/c4nr05006a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The cutting of single-walled carbon nanotubes by an 80 keV electron beam catalyzed by nickel clusters is imaged in situ using aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations within the CompuTEM approach provide insight into the mechanism of this process and demonstrate that the combination of irradiation and the nickel catalyst is crucial for the cutting process to take place. The atomistic mechanism of cutting is revealed by a detailed analysis of irradiation-induced reactions of bond reorganization and atom ejection in the vicinity of the nickel cluster, showing a highly complex interplay of different chemical transformations catalysed by the metal cluster. One of the most prevalent pathways includes three consecutive stages: formation of polyyne carbon chains from the carbon nanotube, dissociation of the carbon chains into single and pairs of adatoms adsorbed on the nickel cluster, and ejection of these adatoms leading to the cutting of the nanotube. Significant variations in the atom ejection rate are discovered depending on the process stage and nanotube diameter. The revealed mechanism and kinetic characteristics of the cutting process provide fundamental knowledge for the development of new methodologies for control and manipulation of carbon structures at the nanoscale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina V Lebedeva
- Nano-Bio Spectroscopy Group and ETSF Scientific Development Centre, Departamento de Física de Materiales, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, San Sebastian E-20018, Spain.
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