Capillarity and silver nanowire formation observed in single walled carbon nanotubes

Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) exhibit similar capillarity properties to those exhibited by multiple walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs); SWNTs, previously filled in low yield (ca, 2%) by solution chemistry techniques, can be filled in high yield (up to ca. 50%) by the liquid phase method; compositions from the KCl-UCl4 and AgCl-AgBr systems were used to fill SWNTs without causing them significant chemical or thermal damage; in the case of the latter, exposure to light or an electron beam resulted in the partial photolytic reduction of SWNT incorporated silver halides to continuous metallic silver 'nanowires' within the capillaries.