Formation of NbSe2 nanotubes by electron irradiation

In this work, we report the production of NbSe2, (niobium diselenide) nanotubes by high doses of electron irradiation. The apparatus used for irradiation was a 2 MeV Van de Graaff accelerator, while the irradiation conditions were the following: voltage 1.3 MeV, current 5 mu A dose rate 25 kGy/min, and total dosage 1000 kGy. Samples were analyzed with a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The main characteristics observed were huge and very well defined nanotubes of several nm long and few nm wide, which are presumably hollow, although they are capped at one end. At this level of irradiation, we were able to find neither onion-like structure nor nanoparticles through out other areas, as it is usual in similar hexagonal structures of the dichalcogenide family.