title: Soft cutting of single-wall carbon nanotubes by low temperature ultrasonication in a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids.
abstract: To decrease single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) lengths to a value of 100-200 nm, aggressive cutting methods, accompanied by a high loss of starting material, are frequently used. We propose a cutting approach based on low temperature intensive ultrasonication in a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids. The method is nondestructive with a yield close to 100%. It was applied to cut nanotubes produced in three different ways: gas-phase catalysis, chemical vapor deposition, and electric-arc-discharge methods. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to demonstrate that the cut carbon nanotubes have a low extent of sidewall degradation and their electronic properties are close to those of the untreated tubes. It was proposed to use the spectral position of the far-infrared absorption peak as a simple criterion for the estimation of SWCNT length distribution in the samples.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Nuclear Problems, Belarus State University, Minsk, Belarus. mikhail.shuba@gmail.com
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Shuba
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Paddubskaya
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Kuzhir
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Maksimenko
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Ksenevich
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Niaura
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seliuta
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kasalynas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valusis
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D017942:Nitric Acid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D010316:Particle Size; D013010:Sonication / Q000379:methods*; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D045424:Complex Mixtures; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D017942:Nitric Acid; C033158:sulfuric acid