AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Nanometer-Scale Science and Technology Tuesday Sessions
       Session NS-TuP

Paper NS-TuP34
Amorphous Nanotubes by Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Bi(hexadecylamine) Zinc Sulfato Complex with Size Tunability

Tuesday, November 1, 2005, 4:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall C&D

Session: Nanometer Scale Science and Technology Poster Session
Presenter: G.W. Huang, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Republic of China
Authors: G.W. Huang, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Republic of China
J.H. Wang, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Republic of China
H.C. Chen, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Republic of China
L.J. Chen, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Republic of China
Correspondent: Click to Email
We describe on the formation of amorphous (C@sub 16@H@sub 33@NH@sub 2@)@sub 2@ZnSO@sub 4@ nanotubes based on directional buttom-up self-assembly process. Through catalytic chemical reaction, the bi-hexadecylamine coordinated zinc sulfato complex is generated as a long-period molecular chain. The nanotubes were analyzed by FTIR, ESCA and line-scan EDX analysis to confirm the nanotubes are composed of (C@sub 16@H@sub 33@NH@sub 2@)@sub 2@ZnSO@sub 4@ complex. The zinc coordinated bi-hexadecylamine provides a multiple intermolecular hydrophobic interaction and drives these molecular backbones to be close together. The as-bulit nanotubes were identified through analytical electron microscope observations, which reveal the nanotubes possess outer diameters of 60-90 nm and on inner diameter of 20 nm with length up to several micrometers. Additionally, through stoichiometry adjustment the length could be reduced drastically to hundreds of nanometer. The tunability in length is also reflected from photophysicical properties with size-dependent optical characteristics. Further molecular packing profile revealed by small angle X-ray scattering strongly suggests and sustains the long range ordering (ca. 3.99 nm d-spacing) within these nanotubes.