Carbon Nanotubes: Measuring Dispersion and Length

Published

August 26, 2010

Author(s)

Jeffrey A. Fagan, Barry J. Bauer, Erik K. Hobbie, Matthew Becker, Angela R. Hight Walker, Jeffrey R. Simpson, Jae H. Chun, Jan Obrzut, Vardhan Bajpai, Frederick R. Phelan Jr., Daneesh O. Simien, JiYeon Huh, Kalman D. Migler

Abstract

Advanced technological uses of single-wall 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 dispersion 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 the size of the nanotube, particularly its length, is especially active in determining the achievable properties from a given population, and thus there is a critical need for both measurement technologies for length distribution and effective separation techniques. In this Progress Report, we document the current state of the art for measuring dispersion and length populations, including separations, and use examples to demonstrate the desirability of addressing these parameters.

Citation

Advanced Materials

Volume

23

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

DOI Link

Keywords

nanotube, dispersion, length, light scattering, neutron scattering

Citation

Fagan, J. , Bauer, B. , Hobbie, E. , Becker, M. , Hight, A. , Simpson, J. , Chun, J. , Obrzut, J. , Bajpai, V. , Phelan, F. , Simien, D. , Huh, J. and Migler, K. (2010), Carbon Nanotubes: Measuring Dispersion and Length, Advanced Materials, [online], https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201001756 (Accessed October 9, 2025)