Sulfide Nanowires Research Articles

Salt-resistant continuous solar evaporation composites based on nonwovens with synergistic photothermal effect of graphene oxide/copper sulphide.

Solar interfacial evaporation is an innovative and environmentally friendly technology for producing freshwater from seawater. However, current interfacial evaporators are costly to manufacture, have poor tolerance to environmental conditions, exhibit instability in evaporation efficiency in highly saline solutions, and fail to prevent salt crystallization. The production of user-friendly, durable and salt-resistant interfacial evaporators remains a significant challenge. By spraying graphene oxide on a nonwoven material using PVA as a binder and adding biphasic Cu x S by an in situ growth method, we designed 2D/3D micro- and nanostructured graphene oxide nanosheets/copper sulfide nanowires (GO/Cu x S) with synergistic photo-thermal effects in the full spectral range. The evaporation efficiency in pure water was 94.61% with an evaporation rate of 1.5622 kg m-2 h-1. In addition, we enhanced convection by employing a vertically aligned water-guide rod structure design, where the concentration difference drives salt dissolution thereby reducing the formation of salt crystals. The evaporation efficiency in 20% salt water was 80.41% with an evaporation rate of 1.3228 kg m-2 h-1 and long-term stability of brine evaporation was demonstrated under continuous sunlight. This solar steam generator expands the potential application areas of desalination and wastewater purification.

Single-atom decorated hollow mesoporous carbon spheres composited with free-standing carbon cloth supported cobalt sulfide nanowire arrays as high-performance sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries

BackgroundLithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are a promising next generation electrochemical energy storage device. Its commercialization however is hindered by several technical challenges, particularly shuttling of polysulfides. MethodsA composite sulfur host, coupled with a porous current collector, was developed to mitigate the shuttling problem. Iron single atom (SAFe) decorated hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (HMCS), composited with cobalt sulfide nanowire arrays supported on free-standing carbon cloth (S-Co@CC), were fabricated as a high-performance sulfur host for LSBs. The sulfur host combines the high electrical conductivity and physical confinement capability of HMCS, the excellent polysulfides chemisorption capability of cobalt sulfide nanowire arrays, and the high catalytic efficiency of iron single atoms toward polysulfide conversion reactions, to achieve a high-performance LSB. Significant findingsThe S-Co@CC/SAFe-HMCS based LSB exhibited a high initial specific capacity of 1430 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C. For cycling stability, a specific capacity of 578 mAh g−1 was maintained after a 600-cycle operation at 1 C, achieving an ultralow average capacity decay rate of 0.029 % per cycle. The design of composite sulfur hosts, combining all functional components in one, proves to be an effective strategy to advance the development of high-performance LSBs.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ZnS NANOWIRES

The creation of a nanoporous silicon dioxide layer in the a-SiO2/Si-n structure was accomplished by irradiation with xenon ions at a cyclotron and then chemical etching with an aqueous solution of hydrogen fluoride with the addition of palladium. The truncated cone-shaped nanopores had diameters ranging from 486 to 509 nm. Then ZnS nanowires synthesized by electrochemical deposition (ECD) method, depending on the voltage at the electrodes of the electrolytic cell and as a result zinc sulfide nanowires with cubic structure and spatial symmetry group F-43m (216) were obtained. The sample is characterized by (111), (200), (220), (331) (311) planes, respectively, which is in good agreement with the cubic phase of ZnS. The charge-voltage characteristics (CVC) of ZnS showed that an n-type conductivity semiconductor was formed. Measurements of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ZnS were recorded on a CM 2203 spectrofluorimeter. The PL spectra were recorded in the range of 250 nm to 450 nm at room temperature. The PL spectra of the precipitated precipitates reveals emission in a wide UV-visible spectral range. It can be seen that the luminescence spectra have quite complex components and can be divided into five Gaussian curves. As can be seen the FL spectrum of the deposited ZnS consists of bands at 3.15 eV, 3.3 eV, 3.4 eV, 3.55 eV and 3.73 eV. Also analyzing the spectra energy dispersive analysis showed that the ZnS nanoproofs consist of Zn – 42.5% and S – 57.5%.

Sulfur vacancy-rich bismuth sulfide nanowire derived from CAU-17 for radioactive iodine capture in complex environments: Performance and intrinsic mechanisms

Effective capture and immobilization of volatile radioiodine from the off-gas of post-treatment plants is crucial for nuclear safety and public health, considering its long half-life, high toxicity, and environmental mobility. Herein, sulfur vacancy-rich Vs-Bi2S3@C nanocomposites were systematically synthesized via a one-step solvothermal vulcanization of CAU-17 precursor. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that the as-synthesized materials exhibited superior iodine adsorption capacity (1505.8 mg g−1 at 200 °C), fast equilibrium time (60 min), and high chemisorption ratio (91.7%), which might benefit from the nanowire structure and abundant sulfur vacancies of Bi2S3. Furthermore, Vs-Bi2S3@C composites exhibited excellent iodine capture performance in complex environments (high temperatures, high humidity and radiation exposure). Mechanistic investigations revealed that the I2 capture by fabricated materials primarily involved the chemical adsorption between Bi2S3 and I2 to form BiI3, and the interaction of I2 with electrons provided by sulfur vacancies to form polyiodide anions (I3-). The post-adsorbed iodine samples were successfully immobilized into commercial glass fractions in a stable form (BixOyI), exhibiting a normalized iodine leaching rate of 3.81 × 10−5 g m−2 d−1. Overall, our work offers a novel strategy for the design of adsorbent materials tailed for efficient capture and immobilization of volatile radioiodine.

Novel Phenothiazine and Coumarin based Sensitizers: Design, Synthesis and Photoelectrochemical Application by Anchoring on CdS Nanowires

Novel metal-free organic dyes (E)-2-cyano-3-(10-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)acrylic acid (PPC) and (E)-2-cyano-3-(10-((1-((7-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-4-yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl)-4a,10a-dihydro-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)acrylic acid (PCTC) was synthesized and then anchored to 1D cadmium sulfide nanowires (1D CdS NWs) for application in photoelectrochemical dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The 1D CdS nanowires were interconnected into a nanonetwork using solution chemistry in a straightforward and efficient manner. The UV-visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and density functional theory (DFT) were effectively employed to analyze the characteristics of PPC and PCTC. The sensitizer-anchored CdS nanowires have a broader range of light absorption in the UV-visible spectrum compared to bare CdS nanowires. The complete device has the assembly FTO, compact CdS, CdS nanowires, synthesized dye and counter electrode. In photovoltaic assessment, the PCTC and PPC devices yield 3.19 and 3.04 times, respectively, more efficiency than naked CdS nanowires under conventional sunshine illumination (100 mW/cm2, AM 1.5G). The obtained results provide strong evidence supporting the presence of rising external quantum efficiency (EQE) and show a high level of consistency with the optical tests.

Spatial orientation of CdS nanowiresbased on second harmonic generation spectroscopy and microscopic Imaging

The second harmonic generation (SHG), as a nonlinear optical effect, has a wide range of applications in obtaining information such as material composition, structure, and properties due to its good polarization sensitivity. Although SHG spectroscopy or SHG microscopy has been used to explore the precise positioning or tracking of nanowires, there are few reports on the combination of SHG spectroscopy and SHG microscopy to study the structure of nanomaterials and the spatial orientation of crystal axes. In this work, we investigate the spatial orientation and crystal axis orientation of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires by combining SHG spectroscopy and microscopic imaging. Firstly, we experimentally and theoretically study the spectral intensity of the SHG of CdS nanowires with the polarization direction of the incident light based on the all-optical analysis method proposed by the predecessors. We also analyze the influence of the azimuth angle of the crystal axis γ, ω and φ on the pattern of the SHG of CdS nanowires in detail. Secondly, through the mutual verification of theoretical calculations and experimental measurement results, we successfully determine the three axial orientations of a single CdS nanowire. Finally, we also investigate the spatial orientation of a single CdS nanowire by using the polarization-dependent SHG microscopic imaging method. It is shown that different parts of the CdS nanowire have different SHG responses when the polarization is changed. These results provide a new idea and an important reference for studying the application of SHG spectroscopy and microscopic imaging in the research of high-precision spatial positioning of nanomaterials. This study provides important enlightenment for realizing the potential applications of nanomaterials in biomedicine.

Novel 1,2,4-triazole sensitizers using N-arylsydnone as Synthon: Synthesis, Spectral, electrochemical, DFT and photovoltaic properties

Two novel 1,2,4-triazolone derivatized triphenylamine (TPA) and phenothiazine (PTZ) based metal-free organic dyes have been designed, synthesized and anchored on 1D CdS nanowires to serve as photoelectrochemical (PEC) dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Solution chemistry is employed simply and efficiently to link cadmium sulfide nanowires (CdS NWs) into a nano-network. Optical, electrochemical and density functional theory (DFT) have been well utilized to examine the properties of synthesized dyes (TPA and PTZ). In the visible range, sensitizer-anchored CdS NWs exhibit a wider region of light absorption referenced to naked CdS NWs. Comprehensive photovoltaic assessment showed that TPA and PTZ devices respectively showed IPCE 3.02 and 3.13 times more efficient than bare CdS NWs under standard sunlight (100 mW/cm2, AM 1.5G) illumination. The collected findings offer solid evidence for the existence of increasing external quantum efficiency (EQE) and exhibit good agreement with the optical experiments.

Construction active sites in nickel sulfide by dual-doping vanadium/cobalt for highly effective oxygen evolution reaction

Rational design and exploration of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with exceptional performance are crucial for the advancement of the hydrogen energy economy. In this study, vanadium/cobalt (V/Co) dual-doped nickel sulfide (Ni3S2) nanowires were synthesized on a nickel foam (NF) substrate to overcome the sluggish kinetics typically associated with OER. The resulting catalyst exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic activity towards OER in a 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, with a minimal overpotential of 155 and 263 mV, the current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2 can be achieved effortlessly. Importantly, this catalyst demonstrated remarkable stability over extended periods, maintaining its performance for 25 h under constant current density, 55 h under continuously varying current density, and even after undergoing 2000 cycles of cyclic voltammetry (CV), which had surpassed those of most non-noble metal electrocatalysts. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory analyses confirmed that the co-doping of Co and V redistributed the electron of Ni, leading to improvements in the d-band center, structural characteristics, and free energy landscapes of adsorbed intermediates. This work presents a novel strategy, based on the connection between electronic structure and catalytic properties, in the design of double-doped catalysts for efficient OER.

Design of Metal Free Fluorescent Pyridine Dyes Anchored on Cadmium Sulfide Nanowires: Optical, Electrochemical and Photovoltaic Applications.

Through a facile two-step synthetic procedure, three metal-free organic dyes having D-π-A kind of structure, belonging to chalcone family have been designed, produced and anchored on one dimensional cadmium sulfide nanowires (1D CdS NWs) to serve as a light energy harvester through dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) assembly. In order to anchor dye on CdS NWs nano-network, solution chemistry has been used in an easy and effective manner. The sensitizing capability of synthesized materials has been evaluated using optical and electrochemical studies, density functional theory (DFT) simulations, and photovoltaic performances. In line with a detailed analysis of fabricated Dye sensitized solar cells containing T4PC a photovoltaic efficiency yields 4.35 times (0.487%) more than that of bare CdS NWs (0.112%), while the other devices having T3PC and T2PC have shown 3.0 (0.338%) and 2.40 (0.273%) times greater photovoltaic efficiencies, respectively under standard light illumination. The obtained results offer solid evidence in favour of boosting external quantum efficiency (EQE) and reflect good agreement with the optical studies.

A flexible wearable self-supporting hybrid supercapacitor device based on hierarchical nickel cobalt sulfide@C electrode

A flexible wearable electrode consisting of nickel–cobalt sulfide (NCS) nanowires was fabricated in this study. Self-supporting NCS was grown in situ on porous carbon nanofibers without a binder as a novel material for supercapacitor electrodes. The NCS nanowires were grown using cyclic voltammetry electrodeposition, which proved to be a fast and environmentally friendly method with good controllability of the material structure. One-dimensional carbon nanofibers (C) have high surface-area-to-volume ratios, short ion transmission distances, excellent mechanical strengths, and remarkable flexibilities. Moreover, the NCS@C flexible electrode exhibited a synergetic effect with the active compounds, and the dense active sites were uniformly distributed across the entire surface of the carbon fibers, enabling rapid electron transport and enhancing the electrochemical properties of the NCS@C nanowires. The NCS@C achieved specific capacitances of 334.7 and 242.0 mAh g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 and high current densities (up to 40 A g−1), respectively, corresponding to a 72.3% retention rate. An NCS@C-nanofilm-based cathode and an activated-carbon-based anode were used to fabricate a flexible asymmetric supercapacitor. The device exhibited high energy and power densities of 12.91 Wh kg−1 and 358 W kg−1, respectively.

Interfacial engineering of CoP/CoS2 heterostructure for efficiently electrocatalytic pH-universal hydrogen production

The design and development of high-performance, low-cost catalysts with long-term durability are crucial for hydrogen generation from water electrolysis. Interfacial engineering is an appealing strategy to boost the catalytic performance of electrode materials toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we report a simple phosphidation followed by sulfidation treatment to construct heterogeneous cobalt phosphide-cobalt sulfide nanowire arrays on carbon cloth (CoP/CoS2/CC). When evaluated as catalysts toward the HER, the resultant CoP/CoS2/CC exhibits efficient pH-universal hydrogen production due to the heterostructure, synergistic contribution of CoP and CoS2, and conductive substrate. To attain a current density of 10 mA cm−2, overpotentials of only 111.2, 58.1, and 182.9 mV for CoP/CoS2/CC are required under alkaline, acidic, and neutral conditions, respectively. In particular, the as-prepared CoP/CoS2/CC shows markedly improved HER electroactivity in 1.0 M KOH, even outperforming commercial Pt-C/CC at a current density of >50 mA cm−2. In addition, the self-assembled CoP/CoS2||NiFe layered double hydroxide electrolyzer demonstrates efficient catalytic performance and long-time stability, excelling the benchmark Pt-C||IrO2. These findings indicate an effective pathway for the fabrication of high-performance heterogeneous electrocatalysts for hydrogen production in the future.

Rational Design of a Copper Cobalt Sulfide/Tungsten Disulfide Heterostructure for Excellent Overall Water Splitting.

Integrating different components into a heterostructure is a novel approach that increases the number of active centers to enhance the catalytic activities of a catalyst. This study uses an efficient, facile hydrothermal strategy to synthesize a unique heterostructure of copper cobalt sulfide and tungsten disulfide (CuCo2S4-WS2) nanowires on a Ni foam (NF) substrate. The nanowire arrays (CuCo2S4-WS2/NF) with multiple integrated active sites exhibit small overpotentials of 202 (299) and 240 (320) mV for HER and OER at 20 (50) mA cm-2 and 1.54 V (10 mA cm-2) for an electrolyzer in 1.0 M KOH, surpassing commercial and previously reported catalysts. A solar electrolyzer composed of CuCo2S4-WS2 bifunctional electrodes also produced significant amounts of hydrogen through a water splitting process. The remarkable performance is accredited to the extended electroactive surface area, reasonable density of states near the Fermi level, optimal adsorption free energies, and good charge transfer ability, further validating the excellent dual function of CuCo2S4-WS2/NF in electrochemical water splitting.

Highly Selective Photocatalytic Conversion of 5‐Hydroxymethyl‐2‐furfural to 2,5‐Diformylfuran over Gold Ion Exchanged Cadmium Sulfide Nanowire

Abstract5‐Hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) obtained from biomass can be converted to 2,5‐diformylfuran (DFF), a valuable chemical intermediate. However, the typical HMF oxidation process requires energy consumption such as high temperature and oxygen pressure. Herein, Au2S decorated CdS nanowires (denoted as Au2S@CdS NWs) are fabricated by a simple ion exchange method and applied as a heterostructure photocatalyst system for HMF oxidation under mild conditions. Under visible light irradiation, the photocatalytic performance of Au2S@CdS NWs is significantly enhanced compared with pristine CdS NWs, in which Au2S (0.25%)@CdS NWs achieve the high DFF yield (≈95%) for 4 h reaction time. This result means that the heterogeneous interface formed between CdS NWs and Au2S promotes the separation efficiency of photogenerated charges, which leads to high catalytic activity. Moreover, Au2S (0.25%)@CdS NWs work well for HMF conversion to DFF under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Control experiments and characterization are conducted to investigate each reaction mechanism. Consequently, it is found that the photogenerated hole directly oxidizes HMF to DFF under anaerobic conditions and the1O2produced from oxygen is the active species for HMF conversion to DFF under aerobic conditions.

In situ growth of bimetallic nickel cobalt sulfide (NiCo2S4) nanowire arrays encapsulated by nitrogen-doped carbon on carbon cloth as binder-free and flexible electrode for high-performance aqueous Zn batteries

In situ growth of bimetallic nickel cobalt sulfide (NiCo2S4) nanowire arrays encapsulated by nitrogen-doped carbon on carbon cloth as binder-free and flexible electrode for high-performance aqueous Zn batteries

Facile three-step strategy to design CdS@Bi2Se3 core-shell nanostructure: An efficient electrode for supercapacitor application

In this study, we utilized a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) route to attach bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) nanoparticles on one dimensional (1D) cadmium sulfide nanowires (CdS NWs) at ambient temperature (27 °C) to design CdS@Bi2Se3 core-shell nanostructure towards active electrode for supercapacitor application. To verify and explore the retrieved surface configuration, structural, elemental, compositional, and surface morphological investigations were performed. The designed CdS@Bi2Se3 core-shell nanostructure not only offers the tremendous number of active areas, but also a continuous and quick one directional electron transport channels, demonstrating noticeable electrochemical performance with specific capacitance of 198 F g−1 (aerial capacitance 59.5 mF/cm2) with 80% cyclic retention @ 2000 cycles. Superior electrochemical activity was enhanced through the mutualistic involvement of Na+ ion insertion/extraction via non-stoichiometric bismuth selenide, which was well supported through electrochemical impedance (EIS) studies.

Tunable Selectivity of Photocatalytic Benzyl Alcohol Transformation over Ag-Ion-Exchanged CdS Nanowires

Existing methods for the photocatalytic transformation of aromatic alcohols to value-added products via C–C cross-coupling are inefficient and insufficiently selective. Herein, a series of cadmium sulfide nanowires (CdS NWs) loaded with Ag2S (denoted as Ag2S@CdS NWs) are constructed via a simple Ag+ exchange protocol for the photocatalytic transformation of benzyl alcohol. We successfully demonstrated that the selectivity toward specific products in the photocatalytic transformation of benzyl alcohol over Ag+-exchanged CdS NWs is controlled by varying the amount of exchanged Ag+ ions. Notably, the product of the photocatalytic reaction was dependent on the amount of Ag+ ions exchanged: with a Ag+ exchange of <5 mol %, the C–C coupling product was obtained with >90% selectivity and >95% transformation yield owing to photoinduced electron transfer from the conduction band of CdS to Ag2S. Conversely, with a Ag+ exchange of >7 mol %, a cocatalyst in which Ag2S and Ag are mixed was produced, and benzaldehyde was obtained with >90% selectivity and >90% transformation yield because of photoinduced hole transfer from the valence band of CdS to Ag2S/Ag. This study proves that Ag2S@CdS NWs can be used as a basis for the development of heterojunction photocatalysts for the conversion of aromatic alcohols into value-added products via C–C cross-coupling reactions or photooxidation toward aromatic aldehyde.

C3N4 and C3N5 Nanosheets As Passivation Layers and Carrier Extractors for Inorganic Semiconductor Nanowires and Quantum Dots

Inorganic semiconductor nanowires and quantum dots made of chalcogenides, III-V semiconductors and halide perovskites offer exciting potential for optoelectronic devices. The orthogonalization possible in nanowires between the normally competing processes of charge generation and charge separation have been used to project very high operating performance exceeding that of thin films and single crystals in light harvesting devices such as solar cells, photodetectors, photocatalysts and photoelectrolyzers. Likewise, inorganic quantum dots with size-tunable absorption and emission spectra are excellent candidates for light emitting devices as well as light harvesting devices. However, the practical performance of inorganic nanowire based optoelectronic devices has significantly lagged theoretical predictions. A major reason for the discrepancy between theory and experiment is the presence of surface traps and defects in nanowires and quantum dots, which exhibit a large surface area to volume ratio. Several chemical treatments and annealing regimens have been employed to heal surface defects in nanowires and quantum dots. One popular strategy involves wrapping nanowires and/or quantum dots with a thin coating of a molecular monolayer (e.g. alkanethiols) or an atomic layer deposited conformal oxide. While such core-shell architectures are frequently effective in reducing surface defects, the surface passivation is invariably accompanied by a deterioration in optoelectronic properties due to the difficulty experienced by charge carriers in tunneling through the thin shell layer. The resulting trade-off between surface passivation and carrier extraction limits performance improvements in light harvesting devices. Thus there is a strong need for passivating layers that do not negatively impact carrier extraction.Herein, we show that graphitic carbon nitride coatings are highly effective in passivating the surfaces of inorganic nanowires and quantum dots while preserving excellent carrier transport and extraction. Three illustrative examples are provided together with in-depth spectroscopic and electrical characterization:(1) Cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) quantum dots passivated by g-C3N4 nanosheets and performing spectacularly as CO2 photoreduction catalysts and water-splitting photoanodes(2) The double helical ternary semiconductor SnIP passivated by g-C3N4 nanosheets which experienced a remarkable improvement in photoelectrochemical performance(3) Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires passivated by C3N5 nanosheets resulting in a superior photocatalytic performance

MOCVD Growth and Structural Properties of ZnS Nanowires: A Case Study of Polytypism.

Controlling the morphology, orientation, and crystal phase of semiconductor nanowires is crucial for their future applications in nanodevices. In this work, zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanowires have been grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), using gold or gold–gallium alloys as catalyst. At first, basic studies on MOCVD growth regimes (mass-transport, zinc- or sulfur- rich conditions) have been carried out for ZnS thin films. Subsequently, the growth of ZnS nanowires was investigated, as a function of key parameters such as substrate temperature, S/Zn ratio, physical state and composition of the catalyst droplet, and supersaturation. A detailed analysis of the structural properties by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is given. Depending on the growth conditions, a variety of polytypes is observed: zinc-blende (3C), wurtzite (2H) as well as an uncommon 15R crystal phase. It is demonstrated that twinning superlattices, i.e., 3C structures with periodic twin defects, can be achieved by increasing the Ga concentration of the catalyst. These experimental results are discussed in the light of growth mechanisms reported for semiconductor nanowires. Hence, in this work, the control of ZnS nanowire structural properties appears as a case study for the better understanding of polytypism in semiconductor 1D nanostructures.

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of zinc sulfide nanowires for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitor

A facile, single-step hydrothermal route is followed to prepare ZnS nanowires with large aspect ratios. The obtained ZnS nanowires deposited on nickel foam (ZnS/Ni-foam) exhibit a specific capacitance of 781 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g. An asymmetric supercapacitor fabricated from ZnS/Ni-foam as a positive electrode and jute derived activated carbon coated on Ni-foam (JAC/Ni-foam) as a negative electrode attains a high specific capacitance of 573 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g, with an accompanying high energy density of 51 Wh/kg at a power density of 200 W/kg in an extensive operating potential window of 1.2 V. In addition, the ZnS//JAC asymmetric supercapacitor reveals long-term cyclic stability, after 10,000 GCD cycles the device sustain around ∼87 % of the initial specific capacitance. These results shed enlighten a new opportunity for promising electrode materials in supercapacitors.

Ni3S2 nanowires filled carbon nanotubes of ultra-high quality: Synthesis methods, structure, and electrical properties

The synergy between the host carbon nanotube (CNT) and the guest filler distinguishes the filled CNTs as hybrid nanomaterials with unique properties. Many materials have been filled inside the CNT cores using several strategies; however, a reliable filling method to encapsulate transition metal sulfide nanowires inside the CNTs is still lacking. An in situ method is developed for the first time to synthesize the Ni3S2 nanowires filled CNTs (Ni3S2@CNTs), and their fundamental properties are investigated. Electron microscopy results demonstrate a core-shell structure of Ni3S2@CNT, i.e., a CNT filled with a continuous and single-crystalline, rhombohedral Ni3S2 nanowire up to several micrometers in length. An exceptionally low value of the ratio between the intensities of D and G bands (ID/IG = 0.26) in the Raman spectroscopy measurements suggests that Ni3S2@CNTs are very well graphitized, possessing an ultra-high quality. A mean resistivity of 6.1 × 10−5 Ωm is estimated using both two probe and four-point probe measurements on individual Ni3S2@CNTs. Also, a diameter selective electrical breakdown or emptying of the filled nanotube channel is observed as higher currents pass through an individual Ni3S2@CNT.