RESUMEN
CONTEXT: Nanoscrolls are tube-shaped structures formed when a sheet or ribbon of material is rolled into a cylinder, creating a hollow tube with a diameter on the nanoscale, similar to the papyrus. Carbon nanoscrolls have unique properties that make them useful in various applications, such as energy storage, catalysis, and drug delivery. In this study, we employed classical molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the formation and stability of nanoscrolls composed of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanoribbons. Using a carbon nanotube (CNT) as a template to trigger their collapsing, we found that graphene/graphene, graphene/hBN, and hBN/hBN could form CNT-wrapped nanoscrolls at ultrafast speeds. We also confirmed that these nanoscrolls are thermally stable and discussed the other products formed from the interaction of these complexes and their temperature dependence. Gr/Gr and hBN/Gr nanoscrolls exhibit similar interlayer distances, while hBN/hBN nanoscrolls have wider interlayer distances than the other two composite nanoscrolls. These features suggest that hBN/hBN composite nanoscrolls could more efficiently capture small molecules because of their greater interlayer spacing. METHODS: We conducted molecular dynamics simulations using the Forcite package in the Biovia Materials Studio software, which employs the Universal and Dreiding force fields. We considered an NVT ensemble with a fixed time step of 1.0 fs for a duration of 500 ps. The velocity Verlet algorithm was adopted to integrate the equations of motion of the entire system. We employed the Nosé-Hoover-Langevin thermostat to control the system temperature. The simulations were carried out without periodic boundary conditions, so there was no pressure coupling.
RESUMEN
Density functional theory calculations were carried out to analyze the performance of single-walled boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT) doped with Ni, Pd, and Pt as a sensor of CO2 and NH3. Binding energies, equilibrium distances, charge transference, and molecular orbitals, as well as the density of states, are used to study the adsorption mechanism of the gas species on the surface of the nanotube. Our results suggest a considerable rise in the adsorption potential of BNNTs when the doping scheme is employed, as compared with adsorption in pristine nanotubes. Ni-doped nanotubes are observed to be the best candidates for adsorption of both carbon dioxide and ammonia. Graphical Abstract Molecular orbitals distribution for CO2 adsorption on a Boron Nitride Nanotube.