Novel nanostructures: from metal-filled carbon nanotubes to MgO nanoferns

Recently, numerous advances have been achieved by the fullerene/nanotube team at Sussex. Formerly, arc discharge techniques provided a unique method for generating fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. However, the yields and dimensional uniformity of these materials were not controllable. We have made significant advances in this area by pyrolysis of selected organic precursors in order to generate: (a) aligned nanotube bundles of uniform length and diameter; (b) metal nanowires using benzene-based aerosols in conjunction with metallocenes; (c) CNx nanostructures. High-temperature methods have also been employed to produce (d) fern-like MgO nanostructures using MgO and Co mixtures. Finally, these novel materials are predicted to exhibit extraordinary physical and chemical properties and may thus prove useful, i.e. in the manufacture of (superstrong) composite materials and novel electronic or optical devices (e.g. field emission sources, ultra-thin TV displays, etc.)