High Yield Synthesis and Characterization of the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Crystalline ErCl₃ Nanowires in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Templates

Crystalline ErCl₃ nanowires have been fabricated in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with high yield (~90%), and the structural and magnetic properties of the resulting ErCl₃ nanowires encapsulated in SWCNTs (ErCl₃@SWCNTs) characterized. Encapsulation under high temperature and vacuum using high quality SWCNTs results in a high filling-ratio of ErCl₃ nanowires in the SWCNTs. The high filling-ratio of ErCl₃ nanowires and the use of highly pure SWCNTs with only a small amount of residual Fe catalyst nanoparticles enabled us to observe the magnetic properties of ErCl₃@SWCNTs. Structure determination based on simulated annealing calculations and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) image simulations revealed that the structure of the ErCl₃ nanowires is unusual with respect to the coordination environment of the Eu³⁺ ions. This work opens up new possibilities to fabricate various metal complex nanowires with high yield and may also be of more general importance in understanding and exploring magnetic properties in low-dimensional magnetic systems.