title: Highly Efficient and Scalable Separation of Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes via Weak Field Centrifugation.
abstract: The identification of scalable processes that transfer random mixtures of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) into fractions featuring a high content of semiconducting species is crucial for future application of SWCNTs in high-performance electronics. Herein we demonstrate a highly efficient and simple separation method that relies on selective interactions between tailor-made amphiphilic polymers and semiconducting SWCNTs in the presence of low viscosity separation media. High purity individualized semiconducting SWCNTs or even self-organized semiconducting sheets are separated from an as-produced SWCNT dispersion via a single weak field centrifugation run. Absorption and Raman spectroscopy are applied to verify the high purity of the obtained SWCNTs. Furthermore SWCNT - network field-effect transistors were fabricated, which exhibit high ON/OFF ratios (10(5)) and field-effect mobilities (17 cm(2)/Vs). In addition to demonstrating the feasibility of high purity separation by a novel low complexity process, our method can be readily transferred to large scale production.
authors.affiliation: Carbon Materials Innovation Center (CMIC), BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: Wieland G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: FET Systems, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.|InnovationLab GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: R Thomas
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Weitz
authors.affiliation: FET Systems, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.|InnovationLab GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kettner
authors.affiliation: Advanced Materials &Systems Research, BASF Construction Solutions GmbH, 83308 Trostberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.affiliation: Carbon Materials Innovation Center (CMIC), BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias Georg
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: Carbon Materials Innovation Center (CMIC), BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: Željko
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Tomović
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Earth Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krupke
authors.affiliation: Material Physics Research, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jules
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mikhael