Recent Developments in Carbon Nanotube Sorting and Selective Growth
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move carbon nanotubes from the research laboratory to the marketplace, especially for electronic and optoelectronic applications where reliable and reproducible performance is a requirement. In this article, we review recent advances toward the ultimate goal of producing monodisperse carbon nanotube materials. The first half of this article focuses on post-synthetic efforts to purify and sort carbon nanotubes by their physical and electronic structure, while the second half discusses progress toward selective growth of carbon nanotubes with predetermined properties. Due to the presence of other review articles in this field,10–13 particular attention is given to the most recent developments that have led to improved performance in electronic and optoelectronic applications.
Abstract
Post-Synthetic Sorting
Due to their high carrier mobilities, electromigration resistance, and tailorable optical properties, carbon nanotubes are promising candidates for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, traditional synthetic methods have lacked control over the structure and properties of carbon nanotubes. This polydispersity problem has confounded efforts to take carbon nanotubes from the research laboratory to the marketplace, especially for electronic and optoelectronic applications, where reliable and reproducible performance is paramount. In recent years, the research community has devoted significant effort to this issue, leading to substantial advances in the preparation of monodisperse carbon nanotube materials. This article highlights the most recent and promising developments from two perspectives: post-synthetic sorting and selective growth of carbon nanotubes of predetermined physical and electronic structure. These complementary approaches have yielded improved uniformity in carbon nanotube materials, resulting in impressive advances in carbon nanotube electronic and optoelectronic technology.
Post-synthetic sorting schemes for SWNTs typically begin with chemical reactions that vary as a function of SWNT physical and/or electronic structure.14–16 Following selective chemical functionalization, the SWNTs are sorted using a variety of separation techniques, including chromatography, ultracentrifugation, and electrophoresis.13 In this section, recent advances in selective chemistry are highlighted, with specific emphasis given to the exquisite structure-discriminating ability of DNA. In addition, two bioinspired separation techniques—densitygradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) and agarose gel methods—are singled out due to the many advances that have been reported since the last major review of post-synthetic SWNT sorting in 2008.13
Introduction A carbon nanotube is a one-dimensional cylindrical form of graphitic carbon with exceptional mechanical, chemical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties. For the past two decades, a diverse range of applications have been demonstrated for carbon nanotubes in research laboratories worldwide. In particular, carbon nanotubes have shown great
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