International Collaboration in Chemistry: Synthetic Organic Approaches to Carbon Nanotubes with Well-Defined Structure

在由化学学部大分子、超分子和纳米化学计划资助的美国研究人员及其国外同行国际化学合作（ICC）项目中，加州大学洛杉矶分校的Yves Rubin将开发富碳大环在溶液中自组装成柱状堆的方法，并通过STM研究这些堆在溶液和表面上形成富碳纳米管系统的控制聚合。这项工作包括与日本大阪大学的Tobe吉人教授的国际合作。Tobe教授的工作将由日本科学促进会（JSPS）资助。该项目的最终目标是将这些富含碳的纳米管产品碳化成具有精确侧链位置的明确定义的碳纳米管。这项研究有三个互补的组成部分。在第一部分中，研究将侧重于利用自互补的富碳大环衍生物的分子组装来实现正确的堆叠参数，从而实现大环柱状堆叠的易于热拓扑化学聚合。在第二部分中，富碳大环的可控聚合将被检查和优化，既可以通过加热、照射或高压在单晶内进行，也可以通过STM尖端的脉冲电压、紫外线照射或加热在表面上与自组装的纳米管进行。最后，对所得到的碳纳米管的结构和性质的研究将确定它们是否具有所需的定义良好的宽度以及与所设计的分子前体相对应的碳网络和取代基拓扑结构。更广泛的影响包括培养研究生和本科生，通过汇集一个国际合作小组来加强研究基础设施，以及长期寻求获得具有独特电子特性的明确定义的碳纳米管的潜在社会效益。碳纳米管是由单层碳原子组成的超细管，具有一定的宽度，这是碳基纳米技术的一个巨大挑战。目前还不可能获得具有精确尺寸和电子特性的碳纳米管，而这项研究试图通过控制碳纳米管的大块形成来部分解决这个问题。这项研究的结果可能最终影响到利用纳米电子学的工业和商业产品。

In this International Collaboration in Chemistry between US Investigators and their Counterparts Abroad (ICC) project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Yves Rubin of the University of California at Los Angeles will develop methods for the solution-phase self-assembly of carbon-rich macrocycles into columnar stacks and study the controlled polymerization of these stacks into nanotubular carbon-rich systems in solution and on surfaces by STM. This work includes an international collaboration with Prof. Yoshito Tobe of Osaka University, Japan. Prof. Tobe's work will be funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). The ultimate thrust of this project is to achieve carbonization of these nanotubular carbon-rich products into well-defined carbon nanotubes with precise location of side-chains. The research has three complementary components. In the first part, the research will focus on the use of molecular assembly of self-complementary carbon-rich macrocyclic derivatives to achieve the correct stacking parameters that lead to facile thermal topochemical polymerization of columnar stacks of macrocycles. In the second part, controlled polymerization of the carbon-rich macrocycles will be examined and optimized, both within single crystals through heat, irradiation or high pressure, or with self-assembled nanotubules on a surface by pulsed voltage from STM tips, UV irradiation, or heat. Finally, a study of the structures and properties of the resulting carbon nanotubes will determine if they have the desired well-defined widths as well as carbon network and substituent topologies corresponding to their designed molecular precursors. The broader impacts involve training graduate and undergraduate students, enhancing research infrastructure by bringing together an international collaborative group, and the potential societal benefits of a long sought access to well-defined carbon nanotubes with unique electronic properties.The availability of carbon nanotubes, ultrasmall tubes comprised of a single layer of carbon atoms, with defined width has been a grand challenge of carbon-based nanotechnology. Ready access to carbon nanotubes with precise dimensions and electronic properties is not yet possible, and this research seeks to solve part of this problem by achieving a controlled formation of large sections of carbon nanotubes. The results of this research could ultimately impact industries and commercial products that would utilize nanoelectronics.