Selection of single-walled carbon nanotube with narrow diameter distribution by using a PPE-PPV copolymer

Yusheng Chen, Andrey Malkovskiy, Xiao Qian Wang, Marisabel Lebron-Colon, Alexei P. Sokolov, Kelly Perry, Karren More, Yi Pang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

Electronic and mechanic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are uniquely dependent on the tube's chiralities and diameters. Isolation of different type SWNTs remains one of the fundamental and challenging issues in nanotube science. Herein, we demonstrate that SWNTs can be effectively enriched to a narrow diameter range by sequential treatment of the HiPco sample with nitric acid and a π-conjugated copolymer poly(phenyleneethynylene) (PPE)-co-poly(phenylenevinylene) (PPV). On the basis of Raman, fluorescence, and microscopic evidence, the nitric acid is found to selectively remove the SWNTs of small diameter. The polymer not only effectively dispersed carbon nanotubes but also exhibited a good selectivity toward a few SWNTs. The reported approach thus offers a new methodology to isolate SWNTs, which has the potential to operate in a relatively large scale.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)246-251
Number of pages6
JournalACS Macro Letters
Volume1
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 17 2012

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