Theoretical and experimental evidence of the role of plasmonics in the cleaning of nanotubes

Published

March 22, 2010

Author(s)

Abram Van Der Geest, Katie Hurst, John H. Lehman, Mark T. Lusk

Abstract

It has been experimentally observed that amorphous carbon is removed from as-prepared, bulk, single-walled carbon nanotubes by illumination with 248 nm (5 eV) UV light. The process via which this occurs, though, has not yet been rigorously identified. We use a combination of experiments and modeling to explain how localized surface plasmon pairs can be induced at the surfaces of nanotubes. The 248 nm light is near the resonant frequency of one of these plasmon pairs for small diameter nanotubes, and this causes a large electric field enhancement in the vicinity of the tubes. The enhanced field increases the rate at which sp-2 bonds in the amorphous carbon are excited into a state from which the carbon is more easily oxidized. Classical electromagnetics, in conjunction with density functional theory, is used to quantify the field enhancement and the relationship between laser wavelength and nanotube radius which will result in cleaning

Citation

Philosophical Magazine B-Physics of Condensed Matter Statistical Mechanics Electronic Optical and Magnetic Properties

Issue

115440

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

carbon nanotube, field enhancement, surface plasmon

Citation

Van, A. , Hurst, K. , Lehman, J. and Lusk, M. (2010), Theoretical and experimental evidence of the role of plasmonics in the cleaning of nanotubes, Philosophical Magazine B-Physics of Condensed Matter Statistical Mechanics Electronic Optical and Magnetic Properties, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=902378 (Accessed April 19, 2024)