Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have well-defined hollow interiors
and exhibit unusual mechanical and thermal stability as well
as electron conductivity1. This opens intriguing possibilities
to introduce other matter into the cavities2–5, which may
lead to nanocomposite materials with interesting properties or
behaviour different from the bulk6–8. Here, we report a striking
enhancement of the catalytic activity of Rh particles confined
inside nanotubes for the conversion of COandH2 to ethanol. The
overall formation rate of ethanol (30.0 mol mol−1Rh h−1) inside
the nanotubes exceeds that on the outside of the nanotubes by
more than an order of magnitude, although the latter is much
more accessible. Such an effect with synergetic confinement has
not been observed before in catalysis involving CNTs.We believe
that our discovery may be of a quite general nature and could
apply to many other processes. It is anticipated that this will
motivate theoretical and experimental studies to further the
fundamental understanding of the host–guest interaction within
carbon and other nanotube systems.
This research comes from 2007, so I become the Human Search Engine, to look for follow up. What is the goal? Direct synthesis of methanol with sunlight and a nanotube chemical chambers.
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