Ferrocene encapsulation in carbon nanotubes: Various methods of filling and investigation

Abstract

Abstract One of the most exciting properties of carbon nanotubes is their ability to encapsulate molecular species in their quasi‐one dimensional channels. We present results on single‐walled carbon nanotubes filled with ferrocene, the most stable and commercially available metallocene. For encapsulation of the ferrocene molecules we attempted two types of filling: a high temperature vapor‐phase method and nano‐extraction from ethanol. To confirm the encapsulation, double‐walled carbon nanotubes were created from the samples by annealing. The inner tubes could be detected by Raman scattering via their radial breathing mode. These experiments confirmed that only the high‐temperature annealing method was successful. The product was characterized by infrared attenuated total reflection (IR‐ATR), Raman, ultraviolet–visible (UV–VIS) and Mössbauer spectroscopy. By the latter method other iron‐containing phases were observed. Mössbauer spectra proved that no charge transfer occurs between the nanotube and the ferrocene molecules.