Article abstract
Nature Nanotechnology 4, 64 - 70 (2009)
Published online: 14 December 2008 | doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.364
Subject Categories: Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes | Electronic properties and devices | Nanomaterials
Processing and properties of highly enriched double-wall carbon nanotubes
Alexander A. Green1 & Mark C. Hersam1
Abstract
Carbon nanotubes consist of one or more concentric graphene cylinders and are under investigation for a variety of applications that make use of their excellent thermal, mechanical, electronic and optical properties. Double-wall nanotubes are ideal systems for studying the interwall interactions influencing the properties of nanotubes with two or more walls. However, current techniques to synthesize double-wall nanotubes produce unwanted single- and multiwall nanotubes. Here, we show how density gradient ultracentrifugation can be used to separate double-wall nanotubes from mixtures of single- and multiwall nanotubes through differences in their buoyant density. This technique results in samples that are highly enriched in either single- or double-wall nanotubes of similar outer wall diameter, with the double-wall nanotubes being, on average, 
44% longer than the single-wall nanotubes. The longer average length of the double-wall nanotubes provides distinct advantages when they are used in transparent conductors.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3108, USA
Correspondence to: Mark C. Hersam1 e-mail: m-hersam@northwestern.edu
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