Abstract

Similar to graphite and carbon fullerenes, the physical properties of carbon nanotubes (NTs) can be altered by ex-situ doping or by functionalizing the nanotube walls. Such mechanisms for tailoring the properties of carbon NTs expand their potential utility in electronic, optical and structural applications. Both acceptor (e.g. I2, Br) and donor-type (e.g. K, Rb) dopants have been successfully intercalated into single-wall NT (SWNT) bundles, and the transport properties of these doped species are greatly altered. For example, iodine-doped SWNTs exhibit a 40% decrease in DC conductivity. Doped SWNTs are a completely new class of nanostructured materials, and there is a large demand for understanding the structure of the various doped-compounds as well as the ramifications for the electronic properties of the material.In this paper we demonstrate the utility of Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) for elucidating the structure of doped nanotubes.

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