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NANOALIGNMENT
Long Hairlike Nanotubes
For the first time, Pulickel Ajayan and other
researchers have created a simplified method for making long,
continuous, hairlike strands of carbon nanotubes that are as long
as eight inches. This breakthrough, reported in the May 3 issue
of Science, is a first step toward creating such products
as microcables for electrical devices or mechanically robust electrochemical
actuators for artificial muscles.
The researchers from Rensselaer and Tsinghua University
in Beijing found that chemical vapor deposition (CVD), a widely
used technique to grow nanotubes, has a high yield of long strands
when a sulfur-containing compound and hydrogen are added to the
process.
“We have created strands with nearly
aligned nanotubes that are as long as 20 centimeters. The
nanotubes are well-ordered in these structures and self-assemble
during the growth process, which means we don’t end up
with an unusable lump that looks like cooked spaghetti.”
—Pulickel Ajayan—
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The new method produced nanotubes that measured
20 centimeters, much longer than conventional nanotubes, Ajayan
says.
“Carbon nanotubes are generally microns in
length, which is not long enough for any practical purpose,”
Ajayan says. “We have created strands with nearly aligned
nanotubes that are as long as 20 centimeters. The nanotubes are
well-ordered in these structures and self-assemble during the
growth process, which means we don’t end up with an unusable
lump that looks like cooked spaghetti.”
The process also could be an easier alternative
to creating high-purity single-walled nanotube material in general.
CONTACT: Theresa Bourgeois, (518) 276-2840,
bourgt@rpi.edu
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