Chapter 4 Raman spectroscopy of carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Publisher Summary Raman spectroscopy has been widely used by carbon nanotube researchers to characterize their samples broadly—from their basic synthesis and purification processes, their ultimate use in nanotube modifications, and device applications. The unique optical and spectroscopic properties observed in single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are largely because of the one-dimensional (1D) confinement of electronic and phonon states and because of the so-called resonance Raman process. Each of the many spectral features appearing in the Raman spectra of SWNTs provide important characterization information about SWNTs, with complementary information provided by ensembles of SWNTs in SWNT bundle samples and by isolated (n, m) SWNTs at the single nanotube level. Raman spectroscopy is emphasised for 1D systems and to characterize the (n, m) structure, defects, and the various environmental effects encountered by SWNTs. Raman spectroscopy is closely connected to PL spectroscopy of semiconducting SWNTs, because both experimental techniques are strongly sensitive to the transition energies of individual SWNTs, to their electronic density of states, and to their interactions.