Screening the Missing Electron: Nanochemistry in Action

The excitement of nano-test-tube chemistry in a single-walled carbon nanotube is exemplified in our study on electron doping in carbon nanotubes. Electron doping through the 1D van Hove singularity of single-walled carbon nanotubes is realized via a chemical reaction of an encapsulated organocerium compound, CeCp₃. The decomposition of CeCp₃ inside the carbon nanotubes increases the doping level and greatly enhances the density of conduction electrons. The transition of the cerium encapsulating semiconducting tubes to metallic results in enhanced screening of the photoexcited core hole potential. This fact illustrates the importance of many body effects in understanding core-level excitation process in carbon nanotubes.