Separation of the semiconducting and the metallic types of single-wall carbon nanotube by electrophoresis method

Abstract

This study was to separate the semiconducting and the metallic types of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by electrophoresis with the different dispersants that are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), Triton X-100 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), respectively. The dispersants modify the surface of SWNTs and disperse in the de-ionized water. and used electric power supply 100V to electrophoresis. However, the different dispersants such as DNA, Triton X-100 and SDS coated on SWNTs have different property of electronic field. Hence, in the same power of electrophoresis was applied to separate out s-SWNT and m-SWNT from the raw-SWNT. In addition, the DNA base pair and quantitative can be determine by electrophoresis with standard mark. The electrophoresis has features that low sample need, low energy required and efficiently for this fabrication. The results of Raman spectrum could verify the separation efficiency and determine the electrical of the samples with the radial breathing mode (RBM, 100-400cm -1 ) of SWNT. After the dispersion process with DNA, a new peak (~1450 cm -1 ) has been observed between D-band (~1350cm -1 ) and G-band (~1550cm -1 ) that also can identify s-SWNT and m-SWNT.