Sorting Carbon Nanotubes for Electronics

Because of their unique structure and composition, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are at the interface between molecules and crystalline solids. They also present properties that are ideal for making lightweight, inexpensive, and flexible electronics. The raw material is composed of a heterogeneous mixture of SWNTs that differ in helicity and diameter and, therefore, requires purification and separation. In a series of groundbreaking experiments, a robust process serving this purpose was developed based on SWNTs encapsulated in surfactants and water. Ultracentrifugation in a density gradient combined with surfactant mixtures provided buoyant density differences, enabling enrichment for both diameter and electronic properties. A new paper in this issue explores further the process through the hydrodynamic properties of SWNT-surfactant complexes. The study reveals that we have just begun to uncover the dynamics and properties of nanotube-surfactant interactions and highlights the potential that could be gained from a better understanding of their chemistry. The time scale of integration of carbon nanotubes into electronics applications remains unclear, but the recent developments in sorting out SWNTs paves the way for improving on the properties of network-based SWNTs.