RUI: High Pressure Studies of Carbon Nanotubes

0104176 Venkateswaran这个个人研究者奖将资助一个主要的本科院校的教授进行一个研究项目，该项目将调查碳纳米管在高压下的光学和电学性质。 在三年期间，将进行以下实验：（1）对溶解的单壁碳纳米管样品进行高压拉曼研究，所述样品包含单个管和2-3个管的小束，从而产生一个。 了解管之间的货车范德华耦合的影响。 (2)拉曼研究碘和C60掺杂的纳米管，旨在探测封装原子对纳米管振动特性的影响。 (3)发展实验技术，测量高压下的电输运特性，研究纳米管的电阻率和热电势变化所反映的气体吸附特性。 这项建议的一个关键组成部分是本科生参与研究。 本项目提出的与宾夕法尼亚州立大学的研究合作将为本科生提供一个访问研究型大学并参与材料合成的机会。 我们的实验研究有望激发碳纳米管及相关材料的进一步理论研究。% 21世纪的主导技术将是控制材料性能和制造纳米级器件的新能力。 碳纳米管是一种独特的分子结构，由碳原子组成的微小而长的管。 它们重量轻，具有高机械强度和柔韧性，并且可以表现出金属或半导体的电性能。 这些多功能的特性使碳纳米管成为纳米技术创新基础的有力候选者。 近年来，碳纳米管领域取得了快速进展，为各种各样的应用提供了有趣的可能性。 然而，为了将这种潜力发展到可靠设备的水平，需要对其基本物理特性有更深入的了解。 这个个人研究者奖将资助一个主要的本科院校的教授进行一个研究项目，该项目将研究碳纳米管的光学和电学特性，并培训本科生掌握材料表征技术。 该项目侧重于了解纳米管束中管之间的基本相互作用，以及在管内部以及束中管之间的通道中引入其他分子（如碘或富勒烯）的影响。 此外，本科生将有机会参与这一令人兴奋的领域的前沿研究。

0104176VenkateswaranThis individual investigator award will fund a professor at a predominately undergraduate institution for a research project that will investigate the optical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes subjected to high pressure. During the three-year period, the following experiments will be performed: (1) High-pressure Raman studies on solubilized single walled carbon nanotube samples that contain individual tubes and small bundles of 2-3 tubes, leading to an. understanding of the effects of van der Waals coupling between the tubes. (2) Raman studies on iodine and C60 doped nanotubes aimed at probing the effects of encapsulated atoms on the vibrational properties of nanotubes. (3) Development of experimental techniques to measure electrical transport properties at elevated pressures and study of the gas adsorption properties of nanotubes as reflected by the changes in their electrical resistivity and thermopower. A key component of this proposal is the involvement of undergraduate students in research. Research collaborations with the Pennsylvania State University, proposed in this project, will provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to visit a research university and participate in materials synthesis. Our experimental research is expected to stimulate further theoretical work on carbon nanotubes and related materials.%%%The dominant technological thrust of the twenty-first century will be the new ability to control materials properties and fabricate devices at the nanoscale level. Carbon nanotubes are unique molecular structures in the form of tiny, long tubes made of carbon atoms. They are light, have high mechanical strength and flexibility, and can exhibit metallic or semiconducting electrical behavior. These versatile properties make carbon nanotubes strong candidates for the basis of innovation in nanotechnology. The rapid progress made in the field of carbon nanotubes in the recent years, promise interesting possibilities for a wide variety of applications. However, to develop this potential to the level of reliable devices, a deeper understanding of their fundamental physical properties is needed. This individual investigator award will fund a professor at a predominately undergraduate institution for a research project that will study the optical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes and train undergraduate students in materials characterization techniques. This project focuses on the understanding of the fundamental interaction among tubes in nanotube bundles and on the effects of introducing other molecules, such as iodine or fullerene, inside the tubes as well in the channels between tubes in a bundle. In addition, the undergraduate students will have an opportunity to participate in frontier research in this exciting field.***