Separation of carbon nanotubes into chirally enriched fractions

Patent · Tue Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012

OSTI ID:1041012

Doorn, Stephen K ^[1]; Niyogi, Sandip ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos, NM

A mixture of single-walled carbon nanotubes ("SWNTs") is separated into fractions of enriched chirality by preparing an aqueous suspension of a mixture of SWNTs and a surfactant, injecting a portion of the suspension on a column of separation medium having a density gradient, and centrifuging the column. In some embodiments, salt is added prior to centrifugation. In other embodiments, the centrifugation is performed at a temperature below room temperature. Fractions separate as colored bands in the column. The diameter of the separated SWNTs decreases with increasing density along the gradient of the column. The colored bands can be withdrawn separately from the column.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC52-06NA25396
• Assignee: Los Alamos National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)
• Patent Number(s): 8,153,014
• Application Number: 12/150,813
• OSTI ID: 1041012
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY