Synthetic carbon nanotubes

Reference Number: K 05-17

Inventors: Hua, Duy

Owner: Kansas State University Research Foundation

USPTO Link:

Invention Summary

Carbon nanotubes represent the ultimate carbon fiber, having the highest thermal conductivity, exceptional mechanical properties and the highest tensile strength of any material. However, existing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) have several limiting features including non-uniformity of size (requiring expensive sorting), and a cap at one or both ends.

Advantages

• Carbon nanotubes can be metallic (n=m; a armchair nanotubes) or semiconductor (n&m are not equal; chiral nanotubes)

• SWNT can be synthesized with uniform and pre-determined sizes

• Synthesized SWNT are less expensive than those produced and sorted via traditional methods

• Nanotubes may be open or closed at one end or both ends as needed

• Heteroatoms can be incorporated into the SWNT

Applications

• Semiconductor materials

• As components in the areas of electron field emissions source, scanning probes

• As components of electrochemical energy storage systems, and hydrogen storage systems

• High tensile strengths fibers

• Electronic computer circuits

• Miniature cathode ray tubes (CRT) of thin high-brightness low energy low-weight displays

• Biological uses