Is the diameter or chirality distribution of single-walled carbon nanotubes selected in the synthesis process?

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2009 Mar;9(3):1897-903. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2009.436.

Abstract

Based on recent theoretical photoluminescence intensity calculations, the population densities of sixteen semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes grown by alcohol catalytic chemical vapor deposition were estimated for two different temperatures. The profiles of population density merely as functions of tube-diameter or chiral angle are found to be widely scattered. However, systematic profiles are detectable when separately split into (2n + m), (n + 2m) and (n - m) family arrays. Apart from these well-knit family behaviors, the population densities of the group of nanotubes forming another three possible series [viz. constant-n, constant-m and constant-(n + m)] also show evidence of good correlations. Hence, a two-dimensional chiral-zone selective growth principle is hypothesized.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't