Potential application of carbon nanotube core as nanocontainer and nanoreactor for the encapsulated nanomaterial

Fe3C nanorod filled inside carbon nanotube has been irradiated inside transmission electron microscope at both room and high temperature. In-situ response of Fe3C nanorod as well as CNT walls has been studied. It has been found that when electron irradiation is performed at room temperature (RT), nanorod first bends and then tip makes at the end whereas at high temperature (∼490 °C) nanorod slides along the tube axis and then transforms into a faceting particle. Extrusion of solid particle filled in the core of CNT has also been demonstrated. It is suggested that these morphological changes in nanorod may have happened due to the compression which was generated either by shrinkage of tube or by local electron beam heating. Presented results demonstrate that CNT core could be used as nano-container or reactor.