Method Could Help Carbon Nanotubes Become Commercially Viable

Northwestern University Press Release, 4 Oct 2006 Carbon nanotubes are intriguing new materials which have been highly touted for their exceptional mechanical, thermal, optical and electrical properties. Researchers worldwide are striving to apply these nanostructures in electronics, high-resolution displays, high-strength composites and biosensors. A fundamental problem relating to their synthesis, however, has limited their widespread use. Current methods for synthesizing carbon nanotubes produce mixtures of tubes that differ in their diameter and twist. Variations in electronic properties arise from these structural differences, resulting in carbon nanotubes that are unsuitable for most proposed applications. Now, a new method developed at Northwestern University for sorting single-walled carbon nanotubes promises to overcome this problem. Read more