Structure, Properties, and Processing of Chirality-Resolved Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

技术：该项目解决了碳纳米管广泛使用的一个关键障碍，即受控分选。该项目的方法包括表面活性剂混合物和密度梯度超速离心法(DGU)，根据直径、手性和电子结构对单壁纳米管(SWNTs)进行分类。DGU在表面活性剂包裹的单壁碳纳米管上的初步结果显示了这种方法的潜力。将开展以下任务：了解和调整表面活性剂包裹的单壁碳纳米管的结构-密度关系，作为表面活性剂类型、助表面活性剂比例、密度梯度和pH的函数；优化迭代分离，其中DGU条件依次改变以实现同时的直径和金属/半导体分离；使用一套互补的表征技术改进手性分辨单壁碳纳米管的结构和性能的表征，包括光学吸收光谱、光致发光光谱、泵浦-探测光谱、拉曼光谱、扫描探针显微镜和电荷传输测量；探索手性分辨单壁碳纳米管在广泛的器件和材料应用中的应用，如互补逻辑、透明导体、超快光学光谱、模板化组装、纳米复合材料、多分析物生物传感器和细胞生长基质。非技术性：该项目涉及具有高度技术相关性的电子/光子材料科学专题领域的基础研究问题。拟议活动的一个重要组成部分是与研究目标相辅相成并与之很好结合的教育和外联计划。教育和外联活动将包括：以纳米科学模块的形式开发本科课程，可以直接插入材料科学和工程本科课程；通过他作为纳米科学和工程中心本科生研究经验方案主任的角色，在PI的实验室和整个校园实现本科研究机会；通过与男童子军、女童军和探险家童子军合作，就纳米科学活动和纳米技术功勋向预科学生进行外联；通过PI在芝加哥科学和工业博物馆(MSI)物理科学展览咨询小组的成员资格向普通公众传播。

Technical: This project addresses a critical obstacle to the widespread use of carbon nanotubes, that of controlled sorting. The project approach involves surfactant mixtures and density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) to sort single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) by diameter, chirality and electronic structure. Preliminary results for DGU on surfactant encapsulated SWNTs have demonstrated potential for the approach. The following tasks will be pursued: understanding and tuning the structure-density relationship for surfactant encapsulated SWNTs as a function of surfactant type, co-surfactant ratio, density gradient, and pH; optimizing iterative separations where the DGU conditions are sequentially varied to achieve concurrent diameter and metal/semiconductor separation; improved characterization of the structure and properties of chirality-resolved SWNTs using a complementary suite of characterization techniques including optical absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, pump-probe spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and charge transport measurements; exploring the utility of chirality-resolved SWNTs in a wide range of device and materials applications such as complementary logic, transparent conductors, ultra-fast optical spectroscopy, templated assembly, nanocomposites, multi-analyte biosensors, and cell growth substrates. Non-technical: The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of electronic/photonic materials science with high technological relevance. An important component of the proposed activity is an education and outreach plan that complements and is well integrated with the research objectives. Education and outreach activities will include: undergraduate curriculum development in the form of nanoscience modules that can be directly inserted into the Materials Science and Engineering undergraduate curriculum; undergraduate research opportunities both in the PI's laboratory and across campus as enabled by the his role as Director of the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center Research Experience for Undergraduates Program; outreach to pre-college students by collaborating with the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Explorer Scouts on nanoscience events and a Nanotechnology Merit Badge; dissemination to the general public via the PI's membership on the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) Physical Sciences Exhibit Advisory Panel.