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

摘要

A method for bulk separation of single-walled tubular fullerenes (100) based on chirality is provided wherein a first step is the formation of a template (40) on a crystalline substrate (30). The template (40) has a plurality of openings (32) which are oriented to energetically favor adsorption of a respective plurality of single-walled fullerenes (100) having a tubular contour and a selected chirality. Next, the template (40) is exposed to a suspension (16) of single-walled tubular fullerenes (100) of random chiralities for adsorption of single-walled tubular fullerenes (100) of the selected chirality into the openings (32) of template (40). Then, the template (40) is removed from exposure to the suspension (16) and the adsorbed single-walled tubular fullerenes (100) of the selected chirality are removed from the template (40). The template (40) may then be reused to adsorb further tubular fullerenes (100) of the selected chirality from a suspension (16) of tubular fullerenes (100) of random chiralities.