Scientists Successfully Trap Krypton Atoms to Form One-Dimensional Gas

University of Nottingham researchers use advanced transmission electron microscopy to observe noble gas atoms in real-time within carbon nanotubes.

Scientists from the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry have successfully trapped atoms of krypton, a noble gas, inside a carbon nanotube to form a one-dimensional gas.
The researchers used advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods to observe the behavior of the atoms in real-time.
The krypton atoms were initially trapped inside buckminsterfullerene molecules, which were then sucked into a carbon nanotube. The tube was heated to 1200°C, breaking down the cages and leaving a line of krypton atoms.
This is the first time that chains of noble gas atoms have been imaged directly, leading to the creation of a one-dimensional gas in a solid material.
The team plans to use electron microscopy to image temperature-controlled phase transitions and chemical reactions in one-dimensional systems.