Carbon Nano-tubes: An Overview
An Undergraduate Research Paper
By Scott E. Wadley for the
Department of Aerospace Engineering at
The University of Kansas
Presentation Overview
• Definition
• History
• Properties
• Current Applications
• Manufacturing Techniques
• Future Applications
• References
Definition: Carbon Nanotubes• Single-wall carbon
nanotubes are a new form of carbon made by rolling up a single graphite sheet to a narrow but long tube closed at both sides by fullerene-like end caps..
• However, their attraction lies not only in the beauty of their molecular structures: through intentional alteration of their physical and chemical properties fullerenes exhibit an extremely wide range of interesting and potentially useful properties.
Important History• 1991 Discovery of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by S. Iijima• 1992 Conductivity of carbon nanotubes
J. W. Mintmire, B. I. Dunlap and C. T. White• 1993 Structural rigidity of carbon nanotubes
G. Overney, W. Zhong, and D. Tománek• 1993 Synthesis of single-wall nanotubes by S Iijima and T Ichihashi• 1995 Nanotubes as field emitters
By A.G. Rinzler, J.H. Hafner, P. Nikolaev, L. Lou, S.G. Kim, D. Tománek, P. Nordlander, D.T. Colbert, and R.E. Smalley
• 1997 Hydrogen storage in nanotubesA C Dillon, K M Jones, T A Bekkendahl, C H Kiang, D S Bethune and M J Heben
• 1998 Synthesis of nanotube peapods B.W. Smith, M. Monthioux, and D.E. Luzzi• 2000 Thermal conductivity of nanotubes
Savas Berber, Young-Kyun Kwon, and David Tománek
• 2001 Integration of carbon nanotubes for logic circuitsP.C. Collins, M.S. Arnold, and P. Avouris
• 2001 Intrinsic superconductivity of carbon nanotubesM. Kociak, A. Yu. Kasumov, S. Guéron, B. Reulet, I. I. Khodos, Yu. B.
Gorbatov, V. T. Volkov, L. Vaccarini, and H. Bouchiat
Properties• Metallic conductivity (e.g. the salts A3C60
(A=alkali metals))
• Superconductivity with Tc's of up to 33K (e.g.
the salts A3C60 (A=alkali metals))
• Ferromagnetism (in (TDAE)C60 - without the
presence of d-electrons) • Non-linear optical activity • Polymerization to form a variety of 1-, 2-, and
3D polymer structures
Properties (2)• The chart compares the
tensile strength of SWNT's to some common high-strength materials.
• Nanotubes can be either electrically conductive or semiconductive, depending on their helicity.
• These one-dimensional fibers exhibit electrical conductivity as high as copper, thermal conductivity as high as diamond,
• Strength 100 times greater than steel at one sixth the weight, and high strain to failure.
• Current length limits are about one millimeter.
Current Applications• Carbon Nano-tubes
are extending our ability to fabricate devices such as:
• Molecular probes• Pipes• Wires• Bearings • Springs• Gears• Pumps
Manufacturing Techniques• Evaporation of
solid carbon in arc discharge,
• Laser ablation,
• Catalytic chemical vapor deposition of carbon containing gases
• Catalytic decomposition of fullerenes
Future Applications• Molecular transistors.• Field emitters.• Building blocks for bottom-up
electronics.• Smaller, lighter weight
components for next generation spacecraft.
• Enable large quantities of hydrogen to be stored in small low pressure tanks.
• Space elevator, Instead of blasting off for the heavens astronauts could reach the ISS as easily as they would a department store: “Next floor, LEO, watch your step please!”
Nanotube Fun!
• You can see animations of virtual nanotubes by following these links:
• http://www.photon.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~maruyama/nanotube.html
• Then select “Animation Gallery”
• Also http://www.pa.msu.edu/cmp/csc/simindex.html
• You can create your own virtual SWNT at:
• http://jcrystal.com/steffenweber/JAVA/jnano/jnano.html
References1. http://www.pa.msu.edu/cmp/csc/nanotube.html
2. Localized and Delocalized Electronic States in Single-Wall Carbon NanotubesT. Pichler, M. Knupfer, M. S. Golden, J. Fink, A. Rinzler and R. E. SmalleyPhys. Rev. Lett. 80, 4729 (1998)
3. http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/slup/CuttingEdge/May00/nanotubes.html
4. Dr. Sander Tans and Prof. Dr. Cees Dekker of the section Quantum Transport at TU Delft,
5. http://www.photon.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~maruyama/nanotube.html
6. http://jcrystal.com/steffenweber/JAVA/jnano/jnano.html
7. http://www.pa.msu.edu/cmp/csc/nasa/
8. http://www.pa.msu.edu/cmp/csc/simindex.html
9. http://mmptdpublic.jsc.nasa.gov/jscnano/