Solid-phase assembly of C60 into nanowires and nanotubes and the stepwise evolution

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes and one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanowires have been successfully fabricated through a solid-phase assembly of metal-containing C60 at 700 °C. From the microscopic observations on the morphologies and microstructures of the nanotubes and the nanowires, it is shown that the solid-phase assembly obeys a stepwise evolution process: C60 first assemble into carbon nanoparticles, and nanoparticles are organized into 1D nanowires, which finally transform into nanotubes via particle coalescence and structural crystallization and extension. In this process, the 1D wire-like nanoassemblies can be viewed as the intermediates of carbon nanotube formation, which record rich and convincible traces about nanotube evolution.

► C60 has been successfully assembled into carbon nanotubes and nanowires at 700 °C.
► It shows that the solid-phase assembly obeys a stepwise evolution process.
► The nanowires can be viewed as the intermediates of carbon nanotube formation.