Chiral-angle distribution for separated single-walled carbon nanotubes

Nano Lett. 2008 Oct;8(10):3151-4. doi: 10.1021/nl801364g. Epub 2008 Aug 26.

Abstract

Chiral indices (n, m) of metallic and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) selectively separated via the density-gradient ultracentrifugation process were individually assigned by using an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (TEM) operated at 80 kV. Our statistical analysis revealed that armchair (n, n) and chiral (n, n-3) SWNTs with large chiral angles (>20 degrees) are dominant metallic nanotubes in the separated samples, whereas such a noticeable preference of particular indices was not observed for semiconducting nanotubes. Some significant discrepancies were found between the TEM and spectroscopic results on the major chiral indices and the metal/semiconductor ratios in these SWNTs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Centrifugation, Density Gradient
  • Electronics / methods*
  • Equipment Design
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Metals
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*

Substances

  • Metals
  • Nanotubes, Carbon