Controlled growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes
AssigneeYale University
InventorsLisa Pfefferle, Gary Haller, Dragos Ciuparu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A transition metal substituted, amorphous mesoporous silica framework with a high degree of structural order and a narrow pore diameter distribution (±0.15 nm FWHM) was synthesized and used for the templated growth of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). The physical properties of the SWNT (diameter, diameter distribution, electronic characteristic) can be controlled by the template pore size and the pore wall chemistry. The SWNT can find applications, for example, in chemical sensors and nanoscale electronic devices, such as transistors and crossbar switches.
Claims48
A method for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes, comprising:
- providing a framework made of a mesoporous siliceous structure having a predetermined uniform pore size and containing metal ions selectively dispersed in substitutional sites of the framework, said dispersed metal ions forming the only source of catalytic sites, and
- flowing a carbon-containing reactant over the framework at a predetermined temperature,
- thereby producing the single-wall carbon nanotubes with a diameter that correlates with the predetermined pore size.
A method for producing single-wall carbon nanotubes, comprising:
- providing a framework made of a mesoporous siliceous structure having a predetermined uniform pore size,
- exposing the framework to an organic molecule which bonds with a pore wall of the framework, and
- flowing a carbon-containing reactant or an inert gas over the framework at a predetermined temperature,
- thereby producing the single-wall carbon nanotubes with a diameter that correlates with the predetermined pore size.
An arrangement of single-wall carbon nanotubes having a narrow diameter distribution, comprising
- a framework made of an mesoporous siliceous structure having a predetermined uniform pore size and containing metal ions selectively dispersed in substitutional sites of the framework, said dispersed metal ions forming the only source of the catalytic sites, and
- single-wall carbon nanotubes disposed in the pores of the framework having a diameter that correlates with the predetermined pore size.
A chemical sensor comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes having a narrow diameter distribution, comprising
- a framework made of an mesoporous siliceous structure having a predetermined uniform pore size and containing metal ions selectively dispersed in substitutional sites of the framework, said dispersed metal ions forming the only source of the catalytic sites, and
- single-wall carbon nanotubes disposed in the pores of the framework having a diameter that correlates with the predetermined pore size and at least one open end,
- wherein the at least one open end is functionalized with a receptor site adapted to selectively bind with a target ligand.
An electronic switching device comprising
- a framework made of an mesoporous siliceous structure having interconnecting pores of a predetermined uniform pore size and containing metal ions selectively dispersed in substitutional sites of the framework, said dispersed metal ions forming the only source of the catalytic sites,
- single-wall carbon nanotubes disposed in the interconnecting pores, said carbon nanotubes having a diameter that correlates with the predetermined pore size and a predetermined electronic characteristic,
- electrical contacts disposed on the nanotubes for enabling an electric current flow along a longitudinal direction of the nanotubes, and
- a gate contact disposed between the electrical contacts for controlling the electric current flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.