PROCESS FOR PURIFYING SEMICONDUCTING SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES

摘要

A two-step sc-SWCNT enrichment process involves a first step based on selective dispersion and extraction of semiconducting SWCNT using conjugated polymer followed by a second step based on an adsorptive process in which the product of the first step is exposed to an inorganic absorptive medium to selectively bind predominantly metallic SWCNTs such that what remains dispersed in solution is further enriched in semiconducting SWCNTs. The process is easily scalable for large-diameter semi- conducting single-walled carbon nanotube (sc-SWCNT) enrichment with average diameters in a range, for example, of about 0.6 to 2.2 nm. The first step produces an enriched sc-SWCNT dispersion with a moderated sc-purity (98%) at a high yield, or a high purity (99% and up) at a low yield. The second step can not only enhance the purity of the polymer enriched sc-SWCNTs with a moderate purity, but also further promote the highly purified sample to an ultra-pure level. Therefore, this two-step hybrid process provides sc-SWCNT materials with a super high purity, as well as both a high sc-purity (for example greater than 99%) and a high yield (up to about 20% or higher).