Abstract
Carbon nanotubes consist of one or more concentric graphene cylinders and are under investigation for a variety of applications that make use of their excellent thermal, mechanical, electronic and optical properties. Double-wall nanotubes are ideal systems for studying the interwall interactions influencing the properties of nanotubes with two or more walls. However, current techniques to synthesize double-wall nanotubes produce unwanted single- and multiwall nanotubes. Here, we show how density gradient ultracentrifugation can be used to separate double-wall nanotubes from mixtures of single- and multiwall nanotubes through differences in their buoyant density. This technique results in samples that are highly enriched in either single- or double-wall nanotubes of similar outer wall diameter, with the double-wall nanotubes being, on average, ∼44% longer than the single-wall nanotubes. The longer average length of the double-wall nanotubes provides distinct advantages when they are used in transparent conductors.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 64-70 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Nature Nanotechnology |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science(all)
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Cite this
Processing and properties of highly enriched double-wall carbon nanotubes. / Green, Alexander A.; Hersam, Mark C.
In: Nature Nanotechnology, Vol. 4, No. 1, 01.2009, p. 64-70.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Processing and properties of highly enriched double-wall carbon nanotubes
AU - Green, Alexander A.
AU - Hersam, Mark C
PY - 2009/1
Y1 - 2009/1
N2 - Carbon nanotubes consist of one or more concentric graphene cylinders and are under investigation for a variety of applications that make use of their excellent thermal, mechanical, electronic and optical properties. Double-wall nanotubes are ideal systems for studying the interwall interactions influencing the properties of nanotubes with two or more walls. However, current techniques to synthesize double-wall nanotubes produce unwanted single- and multiwall nanotubes. Here, we show how density gradient ultracentrifugation can be used to separate double-wall nanotubes from mixtures of single- and multiwall nanotubes through differences in their buoyant density. This technique results in samples that are highly enriched in either single- or double-wall nanotubes of similar outer wall diameter, with the double-wall nanotubes being, on average, ∼44% longer than the single-wall nanotubes. The longer average length of the double-wall nanotubes provides distinct advantages when they are used in transparent conductors.
AB - Carbon nanotubes consist of one or more concentric graphene cylinders and are under investigation for a variety of applications that make use of their excellent thermal, mechanical, electronic and optical properties. Double-wall nanotubes are ideal systems for studying the interwall interactions influencing the properties of nanotubes with two or more walls. However, current techniques to synthesize double-wall nanotubes produce unwanted single- and multiwall nanotubes. Here, we show how density gradient ultracentrifugation can be used to separate double-wall nanotubes from mixtures of single- and multiwall nanotubes through differences in their buoyant density. This technique results in samples that are highly enriched in either single- or double-wall nanotubes of similar outer wall diameter, with the double-wall nanotubes being, on average, ∼44% longer than the single-wall nanotubes. The longer average length of the double-wall nanotubes provides distinct advantages when they are used in transparent conductors.
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U2 - 10.1038/nnano.2008.364
DO - 10.1038/nnano.2008.364
M3 - Article
VL - 4
SP - 64
EP - 70
JO - Nature Nanotechnology
JF - Nature Nanotechnology
SN - 1748-3387
IS - 1
ER -