en.Wedoany.com Reported - A research team led by the University of Tokyo in Japan published their findings in the latest issue of the journal Science, successfully fabricating single-walled molybdenum disulfide semiconductor nanotubes with a diameter of just 1 nanometer (approximately one hundred-thousandth the diameter of a human hair). Using boron nitride nanotubes as reaction templates, the team synthesized ultra-fine nanotubes with well-defined atomic structures within their confined interior spaces, validating a theoretical prediction made 25 years ago regarding changes in material band gaps at the nanoscale, and offering new insights for the development of next-generation miniature electronic devices.

Founded in 1877, the University of Tokyo is a top-tier comprehensive research university in Japan, renowned internationally in fields such as materials science, nanotechnology, and semiconductor physics. Molybdenum disulfide is a transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductor material with a tunable band gap and excellent electron mobility, attracting significant attention in nanoelectronics. Boron nitride is a wide-bandgap insulating material whose nanotube structure is stable with a uniform inner diameter, making it suitable as a "nanoreactor" for growing other one-dimensional materials.

By conducting chemical reactions within the confined spaces of boron nitride nanotubes, the research team synthesized single-walled molybdenum disulfide nanotubes with a diameter of only 1 nanometer and well-defined atomic structures. This confined space enabled the growth of ultra-fine nanotubes that are otherwise difficult to form, promoting ordered atomic arrangement and yielding materials with high structural uniformity. The study found that as the nanotube diameter decreases, its band gap also decreases, confirming the quantum confinement effect theoretically predicted by scientists about 25 years ago. Existing semiconductor technologies struggle to maintain structural perfection during device miniaturization, with defect impacts significantly amplified as dimensions shrink. Carbon nanotubes also face similar issues with diameter control and chirality uniformity. Molybdenum disulfide nanotubes demonstrate potential advantages in size controllability and atomic structure consistency, offering a new pathway for constructing ultra-small semiconductor devices with channel dimensions on the order of 1 nanometer.

Currently, the fabricated nanotubes are only a few hundred nanometers in length. The research team's next step is to increase the length to approximately 1 micrometer (i.e., 1000 nanometers) and attempt to use this method to synthesize other inorganic nanotube materials, including magnetic and superconducting materials. This achievement represents a breakthrough in the field of nanomaterial synthesis, exploring new material pathways for future nanoelectronic devices that surpass the limits of traditional silicon-based semiconductors.

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