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AssigneeWiliam Marsh Rice University
InventorsRichard E. Smalley, Daniel T. Colbert, Ken A. Smith, Deron A. Walters, Michael J. Casavant, Chad B. Huffman, Boris I. Yakobson, Robert H. Hague, Rajesh Kumar Saini, Wan-Ting Chiang
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The present invention is directed to the creation of macroscopic materials and objects comprising aligned nanotube segments. The invention entails aligning single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) segments that are suspended in a fluid medium and then removing the aligned segments from suspension in a way that macroscopic, ordered assemblies of SWNT are formed. The invention is further directed to controlling the natural proclivity of nanotube segments to self assemble into ordered structures by modifying the environment of the nanotubes and the history of that environment prior to and during the process. The materials and objects are “macroscopic” in that they are large enough to be seen without the aid of a microscope or of the dimensions of such objects. These macroscopic, ordered SWNT materials and objects have the remarkable physical, electrical, and chemical properties that SWNT exhibit on the microscopic scale because they are comprised nanotubes, each of which is aligned in the same direction and in contact with its nearest neighbors. An ordered assembly of closest SWNT also serves as a template for growth of more and larger ordered assemblies. An ordered assembly further serves as a foundation for post processing treatments that modify the assembly internally to specifically enhance selected material properties such as shear strength, tensile strength, compressive strength, toughness, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity.
A macroscopic assembly of single-wall carbon nanotubes consisting essentially of substantially aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes selected from the group consisting of end-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, side-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, and combinations thereof.
A macroscopic assembly comprising a plurality of substantially aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the macroscopic assembly is in the form of a membrane, and wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes in said membrane are parallel to the plane of the membrane.
A macroscopic assembly comprising a plurality of substantially aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein at least some of the plurality of substantially aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes are derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes and wherein said derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes are selected from the group consisting of end-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, side-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, and combinations thereof.
A composite material comprising single-wall carbon nanotubes and solid matrix material, wherein (a) the single-wall carbon nanotubes are substantially aligned (b) at least some of the aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes are within the solid matrix material and (c) the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes selected from the group consisting of end-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, side-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, and combinations thereof.
A composite material comprising substantially aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes and solid matrix material, wherein at least some of the substantially aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes are within the solid matrix material and the single-wall carbon nanotubes are derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes selected from the group consisting of end-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, side-derivatized single-wall carbon nanotubes, and combinations thereof.
An probe microscope that comprises a tip of the probe microscope, wherein the tip comprises a material assembled by field-alignment of a macroscopic amount of single-wall carbon nanotubes.
A macroscopic assembly comprising a macroscopic amount of substantially aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein (a) the macroscopic assembly is in a form of a membrane (b) the membrane is at least 1 micron thick, and (c), the single-wall carbon nanotubes in said membrane are parallel to the plane of the membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.