Single-wall carbon nanotube compositions

• US 20060231399A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rice University
• Original Assignee: Rice University
• Inventors: Strano, Michael D., Kittrell, W. Carter, Smalley, Richard E., Sivarajan, Ramesh, Weisman, R. Bruce, Hauge, Robert H., Bachilo, Sergei M.
• Application Number:
  US11/410,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231399A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/450
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2202/02 Single-walled nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2202/22 Electronic properties
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/172 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6489 Photoluminescence of semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/574 for cancer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/588 with semiconductor nanocrystal label, e.g. quantum dots

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for sorting and separating a mixture of (n, m) type single-wall carbon nanotubes according to (n, m) type. A mixture of (n, m) type single-wall carbon nanotubes is suspended such that the single-wall carbon nanotubes are individually dispersed. The nanotube suspension can be done in a surfactant-water solution and the surfactant surrounding the nanotubes keeps the nanotube isolated and from aggregating with other nanotubes. The nanotube suspension is acidified to protonate a fraction of the nanotubes. An electric field is applied and the protonated nanotubes migrate in the electric fields at different rates dependent on their (n, m) type. Fractions of nanotubes are collected at different fractionation times. The process of protonation, applying an electric field, and fractionation is repeated at increasingly higher pH to separated the (n, m) nanotube mixture into individual (n, m) nanotube fractions. The separation enables new electronic devices requiring selected (n, m) nanotube types.

Claims

1-62. -62. (canceled)

63. A material comprising a plurality of single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the plurality comprises at least about 15% of the same (n, m) type where n is not equal to m.

64. The material of claim 63, wherein the plurality of single-wall carbon nanotubes comprises at least about 30% of the same (n, m) type where n is not equal to m.

65. The material of claim 63, wherein the plurality of single-wall carbon nanotubes comprises at least about 50% of the same (n, m) type where n is not equal to m.

66. The material of claim 63, wherein the plurality of single-wall carbon nanotubes comprises at least about 70% of the same (n, m) type where n is not equal to m.

67. The material of claim 63, wherein the plurality of single-wall carbon nanotubes comprises at least about 90% of the same (n, m) type where n is not equal to m.

68. The material of claim 63, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are fashioned into a two-dimensional array.

69. The material of claim 63, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are fashioned into a three-dimensional object.

70. The material of claim 63, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are derivatized.

71. The material of claim 63, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are semiconducting.

72. The material of claim 71, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are a part of a sensor.

73. The material of claim 63, wherein said material is embedded in a matrix material.

74. The material of claim 71, wherein said matrix material is selected from the group consisting of polymers, ceramics, metals, and combinations thereof.

75. The material of claim 63, wherein said material is dispersed in a suspending medium.

76. The material of claim 63 wherein the nanotubes of (n, m) type are selected from the group of (n, m) types consisting of (5,4), (6,4), (9,1), (8,3), (6,5), (7,5), (10,2), (9,4), (8,4), (7,6), (9,2), (12,1), (8,6), (11,3), (9,5), (10,3), (10,5), (11,1), (8,7), (13,2), (9,7), (12,4), (11,4), (12,2), (10,6), (11,6), (9,8), (15,1), (10,8), (13,5), (12,5), (13,3), and (10,9).