arXiv · 1403.6949
The Kinetics of Chirality Assignment in Catalytic Single Walled Carbon Nanotube Growth
Abstract
Chirality-selected single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) ensure a great potential of building ~1 nm sized electronics. However, the reliable method for chirality-selected SWCNT is still pending. Here we present a theoretical study on the SWCNT's chirality assignment and control during the catalytic growth. This study reveals that the chirality of a SWCNT is determined by the kinetic incorporation of the pentagon formation during SWCNT nucleation. Therefore, chirality is randomly assigned on a liquid catalyst surface. Furthermore, based on the understanding, two potential methods of synthesizing chirality-selected SWCNTs are proposed: i) by using Ta, W, Re, Os, or their alloys as solid catalysts, and ii) by changing the SWCNT's chirality frequently during the growth.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Ziwei Xu, Tianying Yan, Feng Ding. 2014-03-27. The Kinetics of Chirality Assignment in Catalytic Single Walled Carbon Nanotube Growth. https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.6949
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.