摘要:
Fullerenes are generated by vaporizing carbon with a laser beam and maintaining the vaporized carbon at conditions selected to promote fullerene growth and formation. This method of fullerene generation may be used to form new compounds including fullerenes surrounding one or more metal atoms, and fullerenes wherein one or more carbon atoms have been substituted with boron or nitrogen.
摘要:
The present invention relates to processes for the purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Known methods of single-wall carbon nanotube production result in a single-wall carbon nanotube product that contains single-wall carbon nanotubes in addition to impurities including residual metal catalyst particles and amounts of small amorphous carbon sheets that surround the catalyst particles and appear on the side of the single-wall carbon nanotubes. The present purification processes remove the extraneous carbon as well as metal-containing residual catalyst particles.
摘要:
This invention relates generally to forming an array of fullerene nanotubes. In one embodiment, a macroscopic molecular array is provided comprising at least about 106 fullerene nanotubes in generally parallel orientation and having substantially similar lengths in the range of from about 5 to about 500 nanometers.
摘要:
The present invention is directed toward methods of selectively functionalizing carbon nanotubes of a specific type or range of types, based on their electronic properties, using diazonium chemistry. The present invention is also directed toward methods of separating carbon nanotubes into populations of specific types or range(s) of types via selective functionalization and electrophoresis, and also to the novel compositions generated by such separations.
摘要:
This invention is directed to making chemical derivatives of carbon nanotubes and to uses for the derivatized nanotubes, including making arrays as a basis for synthesis of carbon fibers. In one embodiment, this invention also provides a method for preparing single wall carbon nanotubes having substituents attached to the side wall of the nanotube by reacting single wall carbon nanotubes with fluorine gas and recovering fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes, then reacting fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes with a nucleophile. Some of the fluorine substituents are replaced by nucleophilic substitution. If desired, the remaining fluorine can be completely or partially eliminated to produce single wall carbon nanotubes having substituents attached to the side wall of the nanotube. The substituents will, of course, be dependent on the nucleophile, and preferred nucleophiles include alkyl lithium species such as methyl lithium. Alternatively, fluorine may be fully or partially removed from fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes by reacting the fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes with various amounts of hydrazine, substituted hydrazine or alkyl amine. The present invention also provides seed materials for growth of single wall carbon nanotubes comprising a plurality of single wall carbon nanotubes or short tubular molecules having a catalyst precursor moiety covalently bound or physisorbed on the outer surface of the sidewall to provide the optimum metal cluster size under conditions that result in migration of the metal moiety to the tube end.
摘要:
This invention relates generally to cutting fullerene nanotubes. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for preparation of homogeneous populations of short fullerene nanotubes by cutting and annealing (reclosing) the nanotube pieces followed by fractionation. The cutting and annealing processes may be carried out on a purified nanotube bucky paper, on felts prior to purification of nanotubes or on any material that contains fullerene nanotubes. In one embodiment, oxidative etching with concentrated nitric acid is employed to cut fullerene nanotubes into shorter lengths. The annealed nanotubes may be disbursed in an aqueous detergent solution or an organic solvent for the fractionation. Closed tubes can also be derivatized to facilitate fractionation, for example, by adding solubilizing moieties to the end caps.
摘要:
This invention relates generally to cutting fullerene nanotubes. In one embodiment, the present invention provides for preparation of homogeneous populations of short fullerene nanotubes by cutting and annealing (reclosing) the nanotube pieces followed by fractionation. The cutting and annealing processes may be carried out on a purified nanotube bucky paper, on felts prior to purification of nanotubes or on any material that contains fullerene nanotubes. In one embodiment, oxidative etching with concentrated nitric acid is employed to cut fullerene nanotubes into shorter lengths. The annealed nanotubes may be disbursed in an aqueous detergent solution or an organic solvent for the fractionation. Closed tubes can also be derivatized to facilitate fractionation, for example, by adding solubilizing moieties to the end caps.
摘要:
This invention relates generally to a method for producing composites of fullerene nanotubes and compositions thereof. In one embodiment, the present invention involves a method of producing a composite material that includes a matrix and a fullerene nanotube material embedded within said matrix. In another embodiment, a method of producing a composite material containing fullerene nanotube material is disclosed. This method includes the steps of preparing an assembly of a fibrous material; adding the fullerene nanotube material to the fibrous material; and adding a matrix material precursor to the fullerene nanotube material and the fibrous material.
摘要:
This invention relates generally to a method for producing self-assembled objects comprising fullerene nanotubes and compositions thereof. In one embodiment, the present invention involves a three-dimensional structure of derivatized fullerene nanotubes that spontaneously form. It includes several components having multiple derivatives brought together to assemble into the three-dimensional structure. In another embodiment, objects may be obtained by bonding functionally-specific agents (FSAs) to groups of nanotubes, enabling them to form into structures. The bond selectivity of FSAs allow selected nanotubes of a particular size or kind to assemble together and inhibit the assembling of unselected nanotubes that may also be present.
摘要:
This invention relates generally to a method for producing self-assembled objects comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and compositions thereof. In one embodiment, the present invention involves a three-dimensional structure of derivatized single-wall nanotube molecules that spontaneously form. It includes several component molecule having multiple derivatives brought together to assemble into the three-dimensional structure. In another embodiment, objects may be obtained by bonding functionally-specific agents (FSAs) groups of nanotubes into geometric structures. The bond selectivity of FSAs allow selected nanotubes of a particular size or kind to assemble together and inhibit the assembling of unselected nanotubes that may also be present.