Carbon Nanotube Synthesis and Organization

Abstract

Abstract. The synthesis, sorting and organization of carbon nanotubes are major challenges toward future applications. This chapter reviews recent advances in these topics, addressing both the bulk production and processing of carbon nanotubes, and their organization into ordered structures, such as fibers, and aligned arrays on surfaces. The bulk synthetic methods are reviewed with emphasis on the current advances toward mass production and selective synthesis. New approaches for the sorting of carbon nanotubes by structure and properties are described in the context of the specific physical or chemical interactions at play, and referring to the characterization methods described in the contribution by Jorio et al. Recent advances in the organization of carbon nanotubes into fibers are reviewed, including methods based on spinning from solution, from dry forests, and directly from the gas phase during growth. The organization of carbon nanotubes on surfaces, as a critical prerequisite toward future applications in nanoelectronics, is reviewed with particular emphasis given to the synthesis of both vertically and horizontally aligned arrays. Vertically aligned growth has been recently boosted by the development of highly efficient catalytic processes. Horizontally aligned growth on surfaces can yield a whole new array of carbon-nanotube patterns, with interesting physical properties and potential applications. Different mechanisms of horizontally aligned growth include field-and flow-directed growth, as well as recently developed methods of surface-directed growth on single-crystal substrates by epitaxial approaches. The proposed mechanisms pertinent to each technique are discussed throughout this review, as well as their potential applications and critical aspects toward future progress.

Characterizing Graphene, Graphite, and Carbon Nanotubes by Raman Spectroscopy

“…The spectral width for each nanotube is plotted as an error bar (9,67). Figure 8a shows a 2D RBM Raman intensity map for the water-assisted CVD-grown (super-growth) SWNT sample (45,46) …”

Carbon Nanotubes as Platforms for Biosensors with Electrochemical and Electronic Transduction

“…Carbon nanotubes can have different individual structures, morphologies and properties, as well as different collective arrangements and emerging properties, all of which are determined by the method of preparation and further processing 68 . Hence, a wide variety of synthetic methods have been developed to produce the desired materials and properties for specific scientific studies or technological applications.…”

Synthesis, Characterization and Synthetic Applications of Fly-ash:H3PO4 Nanocatalyst

“…Due to exclusive characters and ideal properties, nanoparticles play an important role in development of materials research, physics, all branches of chemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medicinal and automotive industries [2]- [5]. Two decades ago the terms, such as nanoparticle [6], nanopowder [7], nanotube [8] and nanoplate [9], in addition to other related shape-based terms, rapidly became very common. During the past few years the concerted efforts of researchers have led to reports of an enormous number of the nanostructure types mentioned above and to the discovery of rarer species, such as nanodumbbells [10], nanoflowers [11], nanorices [11], nanolines [12], nanotowers [13], nanoshuttles [14], nanobowlings [15], nanowheels [16], nanofans [17], nanopencils [18], nanotrees [19], nanoarrows [20], nanonails [21], nanobottles [22], nanovolcanoes [23] and nanobiopolymers [24], among many others.…”