Purification of rhodium-filled carbon nanotubes using reversed micelles

Abstract

A method for the selective removal of material from the outside of filled carbon nanotubes is exemplified for rhodium trichloride filled tubes: the purification proceeds by washing with the reversed micelle mixture, dodecylammonium propionate (dap)-solubilized water in benzene; subsequent treatment of the nanotubes containing rhodium trichloride with H₂ at 500 °C for 5 h gives nanotubes filled with discrete crystals of rhodium metal and no metal crystals were detected exterior to the nanotubes.