Is the intrinsic thermoelectric power of carbon nanotubes positive?

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 2000 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.4361· OSTI ID:788054

Bradley, Keith ^[1]; Jhi, Seung-Hoon; Collins, Philip G; Hone, J; Cohen, Marvin L; Louie, S G; Zettl, A

---

1. LBNL Library

The thermoelectric power (TEP) of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is extremely sensitive to gas exposure history. Samples exposed to air or oxygen have an always positive TEP, suggestive of holelike carriers. However, at fixed temperature the TEP crosses zero and becomes progressively more negative as the SWNTs are stripped of oxygen. The time constant for oxygen adsorption/desorption is strongly temperature dependent and ranges from seconds to many days, leading to apparently ''variable'' TEP for a given sample at a given sample at a given temperature. The saturated TEP can be accounted for within a model of strong oxygen doping of the semiconducting nanotubes.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director, Office of Science. Office of Basic Energy Studies. Division of Materials Sciences; National Science Foundation (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 788054
• Report Number(s): LBNL--48696
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 85; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ADSORPTION
CARBON
CHARGE CARRIERS
DESORPTION
OXYGEN
THERMOELECTRICITY
TUBES