Nano Letters, 3 (9), 1245 -1249, 2003. 10.1021/nl0344763 S1530-6984(03)04476-X
Web Release Date: August 20, 2003

Copyright © 2003 American Chemical Society

Bulk Separative Enrichment in Metallic or Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Zhihong Chen, Xu Du, Mao-Hua Du, C. Daniel Rancken, Hai-Ping Cheng, and Andrew G. Rinzler*

Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-8440

Received July 4, 2003

Abstract:

A postsynthesis method of separating metallic from semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes and a method based on absorption spectroscopy for assay of the separation efficiency are described. The separation method relies on chemical discrimination in the charge-transfer complex formation between bromine and the metallic versus semiconducting nanotubes and takes advantage of the resulting density difference to effect a centrifugation-based separation. Calculations support the proposed separation mechanism.


Download the full text: PDF | HTML