SWCNTs nanotubes

Among the several known types of carbon fibres the discussion in this chapter is limited to the electric arc grown multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as well as single-walled ones (SWCNTs). For MWCNT we restrict the discussion to the idealised coaxial cylinder model. For other models and other shapes we refer to the literature [1-6],... 

The force effect is applicable to investigation of the mechanical properties of nanomaterials [28, 29]. We measured TERS spectra of a single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) bundle with a metallic tip pressing a SWCNT bundle [28]. Figure 2.13a-e show the Raman spectra of the bundle measured in situ while gradually applying a force up to 2.4 nN by the silver-coated AFM tip. Raman peaks of the radial breathing... 

Keywords Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs), Catalyst. 

Fig. 9.20 Luminescent carbon nanotubes (a) Cy3 labeled antisense myc-modified SWCNTs (b) quantum dots-modifed MWCNTs (With permission from American Scientific publisher and...

SWCNT, single-walled carbon nanotube MWCNT, multiwalled carbon nanotube. 

CNTs may consist of just one layer (i.e. single-walled carbon nanotubes, SWCNTs), two layers (DWCNTs) or many layers (MWCNTs) and per definition exhibit diameters in the range of 0.7 < d < 2 nm, 1 < d < 3 nm, and 1. 4 < d < 150 nm, respectively. The length of CNTs depends on the synthesis technique used (Section 1.1.4) and can vary from a few microns to a current world record of a few cm [16]. This amounts to aspect ratios (i.e. length/diameter) of up to 107, which are considerably larger than those of high-performance polyethylene (PE, Dyneema). The aspect ratio is a crucial parameter, since it affects, for example, the electrical and mechanical properties of CNT-containing nanocomposites. 

Fig. 1.1 (a) Schematic of unrolled SWCNT showing chiral vector Cn and the effect of m and n on the electronic properties of SWCNTs. (b, c, d) The direction of the chiral vector affects the appearance of the nanotube showing (b) (4,4) armchair, (c) (6,0) zigzag and (d) (5,3) exemplary chiral shape. With kind permission from [18],... 

The physical approach uses alternating current (ac-) dielectrophoresis to separate metallic and semiconducting SWCNTs in a single step without the need for chemical modifications [101]. The difference in dielectric constant between the two types of SWCNTs results in an opposite movement along an electric field gradient between two electrodes. This leads to the deposition of metallic nanotubes on the microelectrode array, while semiconducting CNTs remain in the solution and are flushed out of the system. Drawbacks of this separation technique are the formation of mixed bundles of CNTs due to insufficient dispersion and difficulties in up-scaling the process [102]. 

The thermal conductivity of suspended graphene has been calculated by measuring the frequency shift of the G-band in the Raman spectrum with varying laser power. These measurements yielded a value for thermal conductivity of 4840 5300 W m 1 K 1 [23], better than that of SWCNTs, with the exception of crystalline ropes of nanotubes, which gave values up to 5800 W m 1 K 1 [24]. Even when deposited on a substrate, the measured thermal conductivity is 600 W m 1 K 1 [25], higher than in commonly used heat dissipation materials such as copper and silver. 

A typical 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition involves the use of azomethine ylides as the reactive species. Ylides are formed in situ by thermal condensation of a-amino acids and aldehydes, which then react to form the pyrrolidine-CNT system [32]. The R substituent on the 5-membered heterocycle attached to the SWCNT can be varied by the selection of the amino acid and the aldehyde, giving access to a range of different functional groups on the nanotube sidewalls. 

One problem associated with An + 2n cyclizations of carbon nanotubes is the reversibility of the process, and for this reason Diels-Alder reactions have been a less used synthetic route. One of the most representative examples of Diels Alder functionalization was reported by Langa and co-workers, who performed MW-assisted addition of o-quinodimethane on pentanol-ester functionalized SWCNTs [34]. 

It has also been demonstrated that CNT sidewalls can be covalently fluorinated [148 150], or they can be derivatized with certain highly reactive chemicals such as dichlorocarbene [142], In this context, Chen et al. applied derivatization chemistry with thionychloride and octadecylamine in order to obtain organic soluble SWCNTs and later they performed a reaction with dichlorocarbene that led to the covalent functionalization of the nanotube walls. 

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