Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become known for their remarkable properties, including exceptional strength, electrical conductivity, and unique optical characteristics. These properties make them invaluable in diverse applications, from electronics and energy storage to biomedical devices. However, considerable production challenges must be overcome for CNTs to reach their full potential in advanced technologies.

The Importance of Controlled CNT Growth

While notable progress has been made over the past two decades in terms of the synthesis, properties, and application of CNTs, their controlled growth with predefined and uniform structures and chirality has remained a significant hurdle. 

Controlled CNT growth is one of the holy grails of nanotechnology and has been researched for over 30 years. CNTs come in all shapes and sizes, which has a notable impact on their electrochemical properties. Thus, to select CNTs with desirable properties for a given application, we need to be able to precisely control the growth of a specific form of CNTs. 

The inability to control the growth of CNTs has represented a considerable barrier to their industrial application since different types of CNTs are required for different applications. 

Innovative Catalyst Enables Chirality-Specific Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes

A recent research article published in ASC Nano described how a research team from the Advanced Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University has successfully synthesised CNTs with a chiral index of (6,5) and an ultra-high purity exceeding 95%. Before this, the only chiralities synthesised with a purity exceeding 90% have been the (14,4) and (12,6) chiralities. These pure (6,5) CNTs have a photoluminescence lifetime of more than 20 times longer than previously isolated, relatively impure (6,5) CNTs. 

The researchers successfully produced ultra-pure (6,5) CNTs by developing a catalyst that enables the selective synthesis of CNTs with this precise atomic arrangement. The catalyst is comprised of nickel, tin, and iron (NiSnFe). In the future, this approach could allow the development of similar methods to produce other CNT chiralities for different purposes. 

At TrimTabs, we’re dedicated to producing high-quality CNTs tailored to the precise needs of our customers, and we are actively pursuing type-specific growth on an ongoing basis. Innovations like chirality-specific synthesis open exciting possibilities for delivering the exact nanotube properties required for diverse industrial applications, and we’re eager to see how these breakthroughs will drive future opportunities.

Read the full story in the link below. 

Full research article