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Carbon Nanotubes: Measuring Dispersion and Length
Author(s) -
Fagan Jeffrey A.,
Bauer Barry J.,
Hobbie Erik K.,
Becker Matthew L.,
Hight Walker Angela R.,
Simpson Jeffrey R.,
Chun Jaehun,
Obrzut Jan,
Bajpai Vardhan,
Phelan Fred R.,
Simien Daneesh,
Huh Ji Yeon,
Migler Kalman B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201001756
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , materials science , dispersion (optics) , nanotechnology , chirality (physics) , foundation (evidence) , population , optics , physics , chiral symmetry breaking , quantum mechanics , quark , nambu–jona lasinio model , demography , archaeology , sociology , history
Advanced technological uses of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) rely on the production of single length and chirality populations that are currently only available through liquid‐phase post processing. The foundation of all of these processing steps is the attainment of individualized nanotube dispersions in solution. An understanding of the colloidal properties of the dispersed SWCNTs can then be used to design appropriate conditions for separations. In many instances nanotube size, particularly length, is especially active in determining the properties achievable in a given population, and, thus, there is a critical need for measurement technologies for both length distribution and effective separation techniques. In this Progress Report, the current state of the art for measuring dispersion and length populations, including separations, is documented, and examples are used to demonstrate the desirability of addressing these parameters.