Reverse Kebab Structure Formed inside Carbon Nanofibers via Nanochannel Flow

The morphology of polymers inside a confined space has raised great interest in recent years. However, polymer crystallization within a one-dimensional carbon nanostructure is challenging due to the difficulty of polar solvents carrying polymers to enter a nonpolar graphitic nanotube in bulk solution at normal temperature and pressure. Here we describe a method whereby nylon-11 was crystallized and periodically distributed on the individual graphitic nanocone structure within hollow carbon nanofibers (CNF). Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction indicate that the nylon polymer is in the crystalline phase. A mechanism is suggested for the initiation of nanochannel flow in a bulk solvent as a prerequisite condition to achieve interior polymer crystallization. Selective etching of polymer crystals on the outer wall of CNF indicates that both surface tension and viscosity affect the flow within the CNF. This approach provides an opportunity for the interior functionalization of carbon nanotubes and nanofibers for applications in the biomedical, energy, and related fields.