Abstract
For over two decades single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been used in a broad range of electronic and optical applications, however the selective chiral sorting of SWCNTs with guaranteed optoelectronics characteristics is imperative to the industrial realization of such applications. In this paper we provide the results of modeling an optical sorting method that utilizes the inherent opto-electronic properties of the SWCNTs, thus guaranteeing the properties of the extracted populations. Utilizing the resonant transfer of photonic momentum, we simulate chiral sorting of two chiral populations in an aqueous environment based on the frequency dependent optical absorption properties of the nanotubes. We show that photonic sorting is not only feasible, but may be up to faster than density gradient centrifugation techniques. Our simulations investigate the effects of laser power, temperature and orientation. We find that 96% purity can be achieved in less than 12 minutes by operating at 9 × 10(7) W m(-2) (20 mW in a 20 μm chamber) at elevated temperatures.
Highlights
The related linear fits for each axis x, y and z gave diffusion constants of 0.732, 0.693 and 0.657 mm[2] sÀ1 for randomly orientated single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)
Initial testing on the photophoretic separation gave rise to the results shown in Fig. 3a and b, which confirm that SWCNT chiral separation can be achieved in less than 2 hours for both aligned and randomly distributed populations
Procedures for chirality sorting SWCNT have emerged in recent years they are unable to guarantee the opto-electronic properties of the sorted samples
Summary
Since they were first observed in 1991,1 many different applications have been proposed for carbon nanotubes including energy conversion,[2,3,4] chemical and optical sensors,[5,6,7] hydrogen storage,[8,9,10,11] high-speed electronics[12,13,14,15,16] and computing,[17] nanometer wires and high strength composites.[18]. For many advanced applications mono-chiral dispersions are essential[20] and a range of post-synthetic sorting techniques have been developed to achieve this. These techniques include density gradient ultra-centrifugation,[21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30] ion exchange chromatography,[31] gel chromatography[32] and conjugated polymer extraction.[33] density gradient ultracentrifugation is the most commonly used. The density gradient ultracentrifugation of nanotubes was first demonstrated by Arnold et al.[21] in 2006 who showed diameter control the of B0.02 nm. Fagan et al.[25] demonstrated that density gradient ultracentrifugation could be used for SWCNT length fractionation whilst numerous other groups have demonstrated that the technique
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
