Strategies to Post-Synthesis Alignment and Immobilization of Carbon Nanotubes

Druzhinina, Tamara S.; Höppener, Stephanie; Schubert, Ulrich S.

Abstract:

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have developed into a standard material used as a building block for nanotechnological developments. Based on the unique properties that make CNTs useful for many different applications in nanotechnology, optics, electronics, and material science, there has been a rapid development of this research area and many different applications have emerged in the past few years. Frequently, the alignment and immobilization of CNTs play an important role for many applications and different strategies, in particular post-synthesis approaches, can be applied. Recent developments of different techniques to immobilize and align carbon nanotubes are discussed and classifi ed into three main categories: chemical immobilization and alignment, physical immobilization and alignment, and the use of external fi elds for these purposes. Many of the techniques involve multiple steps and may also cross these rather crudely defi ned boundaries. As such, the techniques are classifi ed according to their most important or unique step.

Year:

2011

Type of Publication:

Article

Journal:

Advanced Materials

Volume:

23

Pages:

953 - 970