Carbon fibers formed from single-wall carbon nanotubes

• US 6,683,783 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rice University
• Original Assignee: Rice University
• Inventors: Liu, Jie, Rinzler, Andrew G., Nikolaev, Pavel, Hafner, Jason H., Smith, Ken, Guo, Ting, Dai, Hongjie, Smalley, Richard E., Colbert, Daniel T., Thess, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hendrickson, Stuart L.
• Application Number:
  US09/380,545
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 423/445.B, 423/447.2, 361/502
• US Class Current: 361/502
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/081 employing particle radiation or gamma-radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/087 employing electric or magnetic energy
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/10 employing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/121 Coherent waves, e.g. laser beams lasers per se H01S3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/126 Microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/129 Radiofrequency
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/185 Carbon nanotubes carbon nanotubes per se C01B32/15
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00078 Fingers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0892 involving catalytically active material
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/74 Iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/8913 Cobalt and noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0238 via the gaseous phase-sublimation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/349 making use of flames, plasmas or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B82B 3/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures by manipulation of individual atoms or molecules, or limited collections of atoms or molecules as discrete units
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2202/02 Single-walled nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/156 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/162 characterised by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/17 Purification
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/12 Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/127 : by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon gases or vapours or other carbon-containing compounds in the form of gas or vapour, e.g. carbon monoxide, alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 27/00 : Special paper not otherwise provided for, e.g. made by multi-step processes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1418 : Disposition or mounting of heads or record carriers G11B17/00 and G11B19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1445 : switching at least one head in operating function; Controlling the relative spacing to keep the head operative, e.g. for allowing a tunnel current flow
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1472 : characterised by the form
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/149 : characterised by the memorising material or structure
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0014 : comprising cells based on organic memory material
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0019 : comprising bio-molecules
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 : using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/16 : Memory cell being a nanotube, e.g. suspended nanotube
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/71 : Three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/81 : Array wherein the array conductors, e.g. word lines, bit lines, are made of nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2059 : comprising an organic dye as the active light absorbing material, e.g. adsorbed on an electrode or dissolved in solution
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0352 : characterised by their shape or by the shapes, relative sizes or disposition of the semiconductor regions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/06 : characterised by potential barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 : Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 : Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/133 : Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 : of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/583 : Carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/587 : for inserting or intercalating light metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/625 : Carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 : Dye sensitized solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/70 : Nanostructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 : Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/745 : having a modified surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/748 : Modified with atoms or molecules bonded to the surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/75 : Single-walled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/753 : with polymeric or organic binder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/789 : in array format
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/842 : for carbon nanotubes or fullerenes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/843 : Gas phase catalytic growth, i.e. chemical vapor deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/845 : Purification or separation of fullerenes or nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/847 : Surface modifications, e.g. functionalization, coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/848 : Tube end modifications, e.g. capping, joining, splicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/849 : with scanning probe
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/882 : Assembling of separate components, e.g. by attaching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/948 : Energy storage/generating using nanostructure, e.g. fuel cell, battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24058 : including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in respective layers or components in angular relation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2918 : including free carbon or carbide or therewith [not as steel]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/292 : In coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

A method for purifying a mixture comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes and amorphous carbon contaminate is disclosed. The method includes the steps of heating the mixture under oxidizing conditions sufficient to remove the amorphous carbon, followed by recovering a product comprising at least about 80% by weight of single-wall carbon nanotubes. A method for producing tubular carbon molecules of about 5 to 500 nm in length is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of cutting single-wall nanotube containing-material to form a mixture of tubular carbon molecules having lengths in the range of 5-500 nm and isolating a fraction of the molecules having substantially equal lengths. The nanotubes may be used, singularly or in multiples, in power transmission cables, in solar cells, in batteries, as antennas, as molecular electronics, as probes and manipulators, and in composites.

Claims

1. A composition of matter comprising at least about 99% by weight of single-wall carbon molecules.

2. A felt comprising at least about 99% by weight of single-wall carbon nanotubes.

3. The felt of claim 2, wherein the felt comprises bucky paper material.

4. A tubular carbon molecule having the following structure:

where

is a substantially defect-free cylindrical graphene sheet (optionally doped with noncarbon atoms) having from about 10² to 10⁶ carbon atoms;

where

is a hemispheric fullerene cap having at least six pentagons and the remainder hexagons;

x₀, x₁, x₂, x₃, x₄, and x₅ each is a number from 0 to 30; and

R⁰, R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵ each may be independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen;

alkyl, acyl, aryl, aralkyl, halogen;

substituted or unsubstituted thiol;

unsubstituted or substituted amino;

hydroxy, OR′

, and combinations thereof, wherein R′

is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, acyl, aryl aralkyl, unsubstituted or substituted amino;

substituted or unsubstituted thiol; and

halogen; and

a linear or cyclic carbon chain optionally interrupted with one or more heteroatom, and optionally substituted with one or more ═

O, or ═

S, hydroxy, an aminoalkyl group, an amino acid, or a peptide of 2-8 amino acids,

wherein the tubular carbon molecule contains at least one of R⁰, R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁵.

5. The molecule of claim 4 wherein said graphene sheet has a configuration That corresponds to a (n,n) single-wall carbon nanotube.

6. The molecule of claim 4 wherein said molecule has a length from about 5 to about 1000 nm.

7. The molecule of claim 6 wherein said molecule has a length of from about 5 to about 500 nm.

8. The molecule of claim 4 wherein x₀, x₁, x₂, x₃, x₄, and x₅ each is a number from 0 to 12.

9. The molecule of claim 4 further comprising at least one endohedral species.

10. The molecule of claim 9 wherein said endohedral species is selected from the group consisting of metal atoms, fullerene molecules, and mixtures thereof.

11. The molecule of claim 10 comprising a (10,10) single-wall nanotube containing at last one endohedral species selected from the group consisting of C₆₀, C₇₀, or mixtures thereof.

12. The molecule of claim 11 wherein said C₅₀ or C₇₀ additionally contains an endohedral substituent selected from the group consisting of metal atoms and metal compounds.

15. A bistable, nonvolatile memory bit comprising the endohedrally-loaded tubular carbon molecule of claim 9.

16. The memory bit of claim 15 wherein the tubular carbon molecule is formed from a (10,10) type nanotube and the endohedral species is a C₅₀ or C₇₀ fullerene molecule.

17. A bistable, nonvolatile memory device comprising the memory bit of claim 15, means for writing to said bit and means for reading said bit.

18. The memory device of claim 17 wherein said means for writing comprises a nanocircuit element adapted to direct a voltage pulse of positive or negative polarity at said bit to cause said endohedral species to move from a first end to a second end of said bit.

19. The memory device of claim 17 wherein said means for reading said bit comprises

(a) a first nanocircuit element adapted to be biased at a first voltage (V_Read) and spaced from a read end of said bit to form a first gap therebetween: and

(b) a second nanocircuit element adapted to be biased to around voltage (V_G) and spaced from said read end of said bit to form a second gap, whereby the presence of said endohedral species is unambiguously determined by the presence of current tunneling across said first and second gaps.

13. A molecular electronic component comprising at least one single-wall carbon nanotube, wherein said molecular electronic component is a bridge circuit for providing full wave rectification, and wherein said bridge circuit comprises four single-wall carbon nanotubes, each of said four single-wall carbon nanotubes forming one edge of a square and linked to two of four buckyballs, and each of said four buckyballs located at a corner of said square.

14. The molecular electronic component of claim 13, wherein said buckyballs and single-wall carbon nanotubes are derivatized to include functionally specific linking agents.