Statistically accurate length measurements of single-walled carbon nanotubes.
The ability to accurately measure the length of nanotubes is important to understanding nanotube growth and cutting processes. To date, there have been few methods available to obtain a statistically significant length measurement of any nanotube sample due to difficulties in obtaining a complete suspension of individual nanotubes and the tedious nature of measuring 1000+ nanotubes. Here we describe a relatively simple method that functionalizes single-walled carbon nanotubes to achieve a high propensity of individual nanotubes in chloroform as high as 92%. This suspension can be dispersed on mica substrates for AFM analysis. Nanotube lengths and heights can be determined using the Nanotube Length Analysis module of SIMAGIS yielding an accurate measure of length and height distribution of a large population of the nanotube sample.
Department of Chemistry, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
Kirk J
KJ
Ziegler
Urs
U
Rauwald
Zhenning
Z
Gu
Feng
F
Liang
W E
WE
Billups
Robert H
RH
Hauge
Richard E
RE
Smalley
D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D002725:Chloroform / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D004563:Electrochemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D015233:Models, Statistical; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D002725:Chloroform; C011934:mica