Inorganic nanotubes and fullerene-like nano-particles: From the Lab to Applications

Abstract

Recent progress in the synthesis and the applications of inorganic nanotubes and fullerene-like nanoparticles of layered compounds is reviewed in short brief. New synthetic pathways have been developed for this purpose. Thus, the use of heavy metal catalysts, like lead and bismuth, allowed the synthesis of nanotubes from the "misfit" SnS/SnS2 superstructure; WSe2 and other compounds. Scaling up of the synthesis of multiwall WS2 nanotubes is also briefly discussed. The use of such nanotubes to reinforce polymer matrices, and for humidity sensors, is described. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.