Carbon nanostructures as deformation and reaction cells

In this paper, the use of carbon nanostructures as GPa high-pressure deformation and reaction cells on the nanoscale is presented. Controlled irradiation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes can cause large pressure (up to 40GPa) buildup within the nanotube cores that can plastically deform, extrude, and break solid materials that are encapsulated inside the core. Compressive forces from graphitic shells lead to a slow but considerable deformation of encapsulated Au crystals. Furthermore, a reaction between graphite and iron in the core of the carbon onions and growth of new carbon nanotubes inside host tubes were observed. The interaction between metal and carbon was also studied on an atomic scale by introducing Au and Pt atoms into graphene layers. Individual Au or Pt atoms were observed by HRTEM at different temperatures and their migration was monitored.