Facile decoring route to carbon nano test tubes

Carbonaceous nano test tubes were fabricated by a template-engaged approach using a core-sheath Te@carbon nanocomposite as the template. This method is simple, low-cost, and ideal for large-scale production. Because one end of each tubular nanostructure is open but another end is closed, the as-formed carbonaceous material looks like a test tube with an average diameter of about 120 nm and lengths up to 5 mu m. The resulting samples were characterized with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-synthesized carbonaceous nano test tubes are potentially useful as nanocapsules in drug delivery and diagnostic applications.