Controlled cutting carbon nanotube with polyoxometalates assisted renewable method

The uniform short carbon nanotubes (200 nm in length) can be obtained after the hydrothermal process assisted by H3PMo12O40 (150 °C, 72 h). Series of experiments suggest that the length of the obtained short nanotubes is largely dependent on the reaction temperature. The obtained short carbon nanotubes are uniform, without increasing new damage sites into the sidewall, which may due to the aqueous acids that are helpful for the formation of well-defined carbon nanostructures.