Pure-chirality carbon nanotubes and methods

Abstract

A method of providing bulk products of pure-chirality single walled nanotubes having substantially one chirality, and bulk products of pure-chirality nanotubes having at least 50% one chirality. By providing bulk products of pure-chirality nanotubes, the electrical conductivity of the nanotubes can be predetermined and can be made more electrically conductive or more semi-conductive, as desired. Also provided are methods of purifying bulk products of multiple chirality nanotubes into pure-chirality nanotube bulk products, as well as methods of identifying chiralities of bulk product nanotubes. Moreover, fluorocarbon surfactant systems capable of solubilizing nanotubes in perfluorocarbon solvents and facilitating purification and processing are also provided.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 628,204 entitled PURE-CHIRALITY CARBON NANOTUBES AND METHODS and filed on Nov. 17, 2004, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to pure-chirality carbon nanotubes (PC-SWNT) in industrially relevant quantities, as well as their production and use in solutions and / or dispersions. Additionally, this invention relates to a new composition of carbon nanotubes consisting essentially of pure-chirality carbon nanotubes of substantially one chirality. Also, this invention relates to perfluorocarbon surfactants that can be used for dissolving and dispersing nanotubes in perfluorocarbon solvents. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Fullerene nanotubes originated with studies of fullerenes (C60), also known as “buckyballs.” Tubular relatives of the buckyballs are so-cal...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0018] Also provided are components for transistors, optical devices, coded-security tagging materials, and/or medical devices and/or applications comprising single-walled carbon nanotubes, wherein the single-walled carbon nanotubes comprise at least 50% nanotubes with the same (n,m) chirali

Problems solved by technology

Challenges to pure-chirality nanotube production include: (1) large scale production, and (2) processing issues, such as purification and identification of batch mixed chirality nanotubes into single chirality, or pure chirality nanotubes.

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