| Summary: | This thesis is concerned with the encapsulation of inorganic material within the cavity of single-walled carbon nanotubes, with an ultimate aim of modifying their properties at an atomic level. Nanotubes are expected to constrain the atomic lattice positions of internal crystals as well as protecting them from the external environment. Furthermore, the crystals could potentially adopt a structure that is completely unrelated to that observed in the bulk, and it is a good way to produce long continuous nanowires. Following on from the synthesis of high quality material, characterisation of these encapsulated crystals will be carried out using electron microscopy and related techniques. Once characterisation of the structure has been achieved, further analysis will be used to investigate what effect the filling of carbon nanotubes has on the geometrical, electronic and vibrational structure of the nanotube, as well as its reactivity. This will be achieved using, amongst other techniques, Raman and optical spectroscopy, scanning probe methods and thermal decomposition methods. Observed changes in the carbon nanotube can then be related to the specific encapsulated structures observed, as well as the general properties of the host material. From the observations, these materials will then begin to be used for specific applications.
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