Wide dynamic range enrichment method of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes with weak field centrifugation.
The potential of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to outperform silicon in electronic application was finally enabled through selective separation of semiconducting nanotubes from the as-synthesized statistical mix with polymeric dispersants. Such separation methods provide typically high semiconducting purity samples with narrow diameter distribution, i.e. almost single chiralities. But for a wide range of applications high purity mixtures of small and large diameters are sufficient or even required. Here we proof that weak field centrifugation is a diameter independent method for enrichment of semiconducting nanotubes. We show that the non-selective and strong adsorption of polyarylether dispersants on nanostructured carbon surfaces enables simple separation of diverse raw materials with different SWCNT diameter. In addition and for the first time, we demonstrate that increased temperature enables higher purity separation. Furthermore we show that the mode of action behind this electronic enrichment is strongly connected to both colloidal stability and protonation. By giving simple access to electronically sorted SWCNTs of any diameter, the wide dynamic range of weak field centrifugation can provide economical relevance to SWCNTs.
Carbon Materials Innovation Center (CMIC), BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Wieland G
WG
Reis
Carbon Materials Innovation Center (CMIC), BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Željko
Ž
Tomović
Physics of Nanosystems, Physics Department, NanoSystems Initiative Munich and Center for NanoScience (CeNS) Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, Amalienstrasse 54, 80799 Munich (Germany).
R Thomas
RT
Weitz
Department of Materials and Earth Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
Ralph
R
Krupke
Material Physics Research, BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Jules
J
Mikhael