Hydrogenation of C-60 in Peapods: Physical Chemistry in Nano Vessels

• Hydrogenation of C-60 molecules inside SWNT was achieved by direct reaction with hydrogen gas at elevated pressure and temperature. Evidence for the C-60 hydrogenation in peapods is provided by isotopic engineering with specific enrichment of encapsulated species and high resolution C-13 and H-1 NMR spectroscopy with the observation of characteristic diamagnetic and paramagnetic shifts of the NMR lines and the appearance of sp(3) carbon resonances. We estimate that approximately 78% of the C-60 molecules inside SWNTs are hydrogenated to an average degree of 14 hydrogen atoms per C-60 molecule. As a consequence, the rotational dynamics of the encapsulated C60Hx molecules is clearly hindered. Our successful hydrogenation experiments open completely new roads to understand and control confined chemical reactions at the nano scale

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Carbon nanotubes

Nuclear magnetic Resonance spectroscopy

Hydrogenation

peapods

Condensed matter physics

Kondenserade materiens fysik

fasta tillståndets fysik

Solid State Physics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)