Controlled synthesis of double- and multiwall silver nanotubes with template organogel from a bolaamphiphile

Double- and multiwall silver nanotubes were synthesized by using the uniform low-molecular-mass organogel nanotubes self-assembled from an L-glutamic-acid-based bolaamphiphile, N,N-eicosanedioyl-di-L-glutamic acid (EDGA). The EDGA could gel a mixed water/ethanol solvent and form helical nanotubes. When the gel thus formed was mixed with AgNO3 in water/ethanol, the silver(I) cations could be coordinated with both the inner and outer surfaces of the EDGA nanotubes. The reduction of the silver cation under the photoirradiation yielded double-wall silver nanotubes, where two silver layers were separated by one EDGA layer. Elongations of the reduction time of the mixed gels and AgNO3 in the solution lead to the formation of three-, four-, and five-wall silver nanotubes. In these multiwall silver nanotubes, each wall was separated at a distance of about 2.7 nm, which was just the molecular length of the bolaamphiphile. It was suggested that the dissolved EDGA molecules and excess Ag(I) cations were further assembled onto the surface of the formed double-wall silver nanotubes and, as a consequence, the photoreduction caused the formation of the third-wall silver nanotubes. The multiwall silver nanotubes were further formed in a similar way. The factors affecting the formation of the silver wall nanotubes such as the relative amount of AgNO3 to EDGA and the synthetic conditions were discussed.