Method for dispersing and separating nanotubes with an electronic liquid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340418-B2
Application number	US-200913001835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2009
Priority date	Jul 3, 2008
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A method for dispersing nanotubes, comprising contacting the nanotubes with an electronic liquid comprising a metal and an amine solvent, a solution of dispersed nanotubes, comprising individual nanotubes at a concentration of greater than about 0.01 mgml −1 and a solvent and a nanotube crystal comprising a close packed array of nanotubes, wherein the crystal has a thickness of 100 nm or more are described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for dispersing carbon nanotubes, comprising contacting the nanotubes with an electronic liquid comprising a metal, and an amine solvent,
wherein the contacting is performed under such conditions that a solution of individual carbon nanotubes is produced, and
wherein the metal is included in the electronic liquid in an amount such that the ratio of metal atoms in the electronic liquid to carbon atoms in the carbon nanotubes with which the electronic liquid is contacted is about 1:6 or less.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are single walled carbon nanotubes.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes in the solution are non-damaged and non-functionalized.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals and wherein the amine solvent comprises ammonia, methylamine or ethylamine.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal is an alkali metal.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the amine is ammonia.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of separated individual nanotubes in the solution of carbon nanotubes formed by the method is about 0.1 mg/ml or more.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising separating the dispersed carbon nanotubes.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are separated on the basis of electronic character.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are separated on the basis of helicity.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are separated by controlling the ratio of metal atoms in the electronic liquid to carbon atoms in the carbon nanotubes with which the electronic liquid is contacted.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are separated on the basis of size.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are separated by chromatographic techniques.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are selectively quenched.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are separated by adding a quenching agent.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the quenching agent is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, water, alcohols, protic organic solvents, and a halogen.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the quenching agent comprises iodine.

18. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dispersed carbon nanotubes are quenched electrochemically.

19. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising transferring the dispersed carbon nanotubes to a solvent.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the solvent is a dry organic solvent.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the solvent is dimethylformamide or N-methylpyrolidone.

Assignees

• Howard Christopher
• Skipper Neal
• Shaffer Milo
• Fogden Sian
• Ucl Business Plc

Inventors

• Howard Christopher
• Skipper Neal
• Shaffer Milo
• Fogden Sian

Classifications

• C01B2202/02

  Single-walled nanotubes · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• B82Y30/00 Primary

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• Y10T428/2982

  Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.] · CPC title

• C01B32/174 Primary

  Derivatisation; Solubilisation; Dispersion in solvents · CPC title