Ultra small single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and molecular iodine species were fabricated inside the channels of AFI zeolite crystals in this study. These nanostructures are mono-sized and uniformly aligned showing unique physical properties. Furthermore, the thermal stability of freestanding ultra small SWNTs and the tuning of the electronic band structure by lithium doping in SWNTs formed inside AFI zeolites were also studied. I) the study on ultra small SWNTs included: 1) DSC/TG and mass spectrum characterization of the growth process of SWNTs inside the zeolite framework and sample quality improvement by a UV-assisted pyrolysis method; 2) thermal properties of SWNTs@AFI and freestanding SWNTs; 3) fabricating lithium-doped SWNTs@AFI using a vapor phase adsorption method and cha...[ Read more ]

Ultra small single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and molecular iodine species were fabricated inside the channels of AFI zeolite crystals in this study. These nanostructures are mono-sized and uniformly aligned showing unique physical properties. Furthermore, the thermal stability of freestanding ultra small SWNTs and the tuning of the electronic band structure by lithium doping in SWNTs formed inside AFI zeolites were also studied. I) the study on ultra small SWNTs included: 1) DSC/TG and mass spectrum characterization of the growth process of SWNTs inside the zeolite framework and sample quality improvement by a UV-assisted pyrolysis method; 2) thermal properties of SWNTs@AFI and freestanding SWNTs; 3) fabricating lithium-doped SWNTs@AFI using a vapor phase adsorption method and characterizing the charge transfer between the lithium atoms and SWNTs by resonant Raman scattering.

II) The study on iodine species occluded inside the AFI zeolite frameworks included 1) fabricating uniform arrays of one-dimensional molecular iodine chains through vapor phase adsorption; 2) identifying the iodine species formed inside the AFI zeolite channels by polarized Raman scattering, resonant Raman scattering, and polarized micro optical absorption; 3) characterizing and controlling the phase properties of iodine species by DSC/TG, Raman scattering, and localized heating of the focused laser beam.