Method for bulk separation of single-walled tubular fullerenes based on chirality

A method for bulk separation of single-walled tubular fullerenes based on chirality, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a crystalline substrate having a predetermined lattice structure;
• b. depositing a plurality of single-walled tubular fullerenes of a selected chirality on said substrate, said deposited single-walled tubular fullerenes having a lattice structure thereof in aligned relationship with said predetermined lattice structure of said crystalline substrate;
• c. depositing a layer of molecules on said crystalline substrate surrounding each of said single-walled tubular fullerenes of said selected chirality;
• d. removing said single-walled tubular fullerenes from said crystalline substrate to form a template without substantially disturbing said layer of molecules;
• e. exposing said template to a suspension of single-walled tubular fullerenes of random chiralities for adsorption thereon of single-walled tubular fullerenes of said selected chirality;
• f. removing said template from said suspension;
• g. exposing said template to a solvent solution for removing said adsorbed single-walled tubular fullerenes therefrom;
• and,
• h. recovering said single-walled tubular fullerenes of said selected chirality from said solvent solution.

A method for bulk separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes based on chirality, comprising the steps of:

• a. forming a template on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrate having a plurality of openings oriented to energetically favor adsorption of a respective plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes having a selected chirality;
• b. exposing said template to a suspension of single-walled carbon nanotubes of random chiralities for adsorption of single-walled carbon nanotubes of said selected chirality within said openings of said template;
• c. removing said template from said suspension;
• and,
• d. removing said adsorbed single-walled carbon nanotubes of said selected chirality from said template.

A method for bulk separation of single-walled tubular fullerenes based on chirality, comprising the steps of:

• providing a crystalline substrate having a lattice structure;
• depositing a plurality of single-walled tubular fullerenes on said substrate with respective longitudinal axes thereof oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to an axis of said lattice structure of said substrate, wherein single-walled tubular fullerenes of only a predetermined chirality are held to said substrate;
• and,
• removing said single-walled tubular fullerenes held to said substrate therefrom.