Study of interactions in carbon nanotubes systems by using Raman and SERS spectroscopy

Abstract

We present results obtained on carbon nanotube systems by means of Raman scattering and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Such systems consist of single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs), multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs), or polymer/nanotubes composites. In particular, we have focused our studies on the interactions taking place in these compounds which lead to an upshift of the radial breathing mode (RBM) in the case of SWNTs, either when they are arranged in bundles or embedded in polymers. Similar calculations has allowed us to interpret the low frequency Raman modes observed in purified MWNTs. We show that they come from the RBM of individual tubes. From intensity calculations performed to simulate Raman spectra, we demonstrate the importance of two experimental parameters, namely the diameter of internal tubes and the number of shells which constitute the MWNTs, such parameters being extracted experimentally from high resolution transmission electron microscopy images.