A novel method is presented which allows the characterization of diameter selective phenomena in SWCNTs. It is based on the transformation of fullerene peapod materials into double-wall carbon nanotubes and studying the diameter distribution of the latter. The method is demonstrated for the diameter selective healing of nanotube defects and yield from C$_{ 70}$ peapod samples. Openings on small diameter nanotubes are closed first. The yield of very small diameter inner nanotubes from C$_{ 70}$ peapods is demonstrated. This challenges the theoretical models of inner nanotube formation. An anomalous absence of mid-diameter inner tubes is observed and explained by the suppressed amount of C$_{ 70}$ peapods due to the competition of the two almost equally stable standing and lying C$_{ 70}$ peapod configurations.
Categories: cond-mat.mtrl-sci