Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have successfully threaded atoms of indium metal in between individual fibers in bundles of transition metal chalcogenide nanofibers. By steeping the bundles in indium gas, rows of atoms were able to make their way in between the fibers to create a unique nanostructure via intercalation. Through simulations and resistivity measurements, individual bundles were shown to have metallic properties, paving the way for application as flexible nanowires in nanocircuitry. The paper is published in the journal ACS Nano.
(a) 3D TMC crystalline structure consisting of TMC nanofibers surrounded by single-atom rows of an intercalating element. (b) End on and side view of a single TMC nanofiber. Chalcogens are golden, transition metals are green, and the intercalating element is dark purple. Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan University Atomic wires of transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) are nanostructures consisting of a transition metal and a group 16 element like sulfur, selenium, and tellurium. They are able to self-assemble into a wide range of structures with different dimensionality, putting them at the heart of a revolution in nanomaterials that has been the focus of intense research in recent years. In particular, a class of 3D TMC structures have garnered particular interest, consisting of bundles of TMC nanofibers held together by metallic atoms in between the fibers, all forming a well-ordered lattice in its cross section. Depending on the choice of metal, the structure could even be made to become a superconductor. Furthermore, by making the bundles thin, they could be made into flexible structures that conduct electricity: this makes TMC…