A purification method has been developed that provides for the removal of metal catalysts and impurity carbon from laser-oven-grown single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) material. The oxidation rate of SWNTs in air at elevated temperatures is correlated to the metal content of the sample. Sample purity is documented with SEM, TEM, electron microprobe analysis, Raman, and UV-vis-near-IR. We also note that the relative intensity of the electronic transitions in the near-infrared to the continuum absorption at 400 nm in the UV serves as a useful monitor of the perturbation of the sidewall π-electron density of SWNTs due to sidewall substitution and/or oxidation.

The creation of continuous nanoscale composite fibrils from carbon nanotubes using an electrospinning process is reported. Nanotube bundles align in the fiber, and upon heat treatment, the composite fibrils are carbonized at 1100 °C to form the SWNT/carbon yarns. The fibrils show superior mechanical properties and can be used as a reinforcement for a variety of materials.

The population of valence-band electronic states of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was tuned electrochemically in acetonitrile electrolyte solution. In dry and oxygen-free solution, the electrochemistry of SWCNTs is controlled by capacitive charging. Reversible changes of intensity and frequency of the Raman spectra can be monitored during cyclic voltammetry at low scan rates. Electrochemical charging of SWCNTs can be also traced via reversible bleaching of the electronic transitions in the vis-NIR region. An aprotic medium offers a broader electrochemical window for tuning of electronic properties of SWCNTs. Electrochemical charging of SWCNTs in an aprotic electrolyte solution allows easy and precise control of the electronic structure of SWCNTs. In addition to commercial SWCNTs, a material made from gas-phase catalytic decomposition of CO by the HiPco process was also studied. Selective quenching of vis-NIR and Raman spectra is a useful tool to the analysis of tubes of varying diameter and helicity.

We have demonstrated large-scale production ͑10 g/day͒ of high-purity carbon single-walled nanotubes ͑SWNTs͒ using a gas-phase chemical-vapor-deposition process we call the HiPco process. SWNTs grow in high-pressure ͑30-50 atm͒, high-temperature ͑900-1100°C͒ flowing CO on catalytic clusters of iron. The clusters are formed in situ: Fe is added to the gas flow in the form of Fe͑CO͒ 5. Upon heating, the Fe͑CO͒ 5 decomposes and the iron atoms condense into clusters. These clusters serve as catalytic particles upon which SWNT nucleate and grow ͑in the gas phase͒ via CO disproportionation: COϩCO⇒CO 2 ϩC͑SWNT͒. SWNT material of up to 97 mol % purity has been produced at rates of up to 450 mg/h. The HiPco process has been studied and optimized with respect to a number of process parameters including temperature, pressure, and catalyst concentration. The behavior of the SWNT yield with respect to various parameters sheds light on the processes that currently limit SWNT production, and suggests ways that the production rate can be increased still further.

The Mars 2020 mission will seek the signs of ancient life on Mars and will identify, prepare, document, and cache a set of samples for possible return to Earth by a follow-on mission. Mars 2020 and its Perseverance rover thus link and further two long-held goals inThe Mars 2020 Mission Edited by Kenneth A

Poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) has been synthesized in the presence of singlewall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in poly(phosphoric acid) (PPA) using typical PBO polymerization conditions. PBO and PBO/SWNT lyotropic liquid crystalline solutions in PPA have been spun into fibers using dry-jet wet spinning. The tensile strength of the PBO/SWNT fiber containing 10 wt % SWNTs is about 50% higher than that of the control PBO fibers containing no SWNTs. The structure and morphology of these fibers have been studied.

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