Energy Barriers at the Ends of Carbon Nanotube Bundles: Effects on Interstitial Adsorption Kinetics

M.M. CALBI; J.L. RICCARDO

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2005 vol. 94 p. 2461031 - 2461034

0031-9007

We investigate the presence of adsorption sites and energy barriers near the ends of carbon nanotubebundles to determine their consequences on gas adsorption in the interstitial channels between the tubes.In the case of H2 molecules adsorbing in bundles of closed (10,10) tubes, a high binding energy sitefollowed by a potential barrier lie right before the entrance to the interstitial channels, producing adramatic slowing down of interstitial adsorption kinetics.