Experimental investigation on the viability of purifying single-wall carbon nanotubes

• Main Author: Ng, Darryl Zhi Wei
• Other Authors: Ooi Kim Tiow
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials::Nanostructured materials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/157884
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Since the discovery of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in 1993, practical applications have been hindered by expensive and time-consuming purification processes. With recent studies demonstrating the effectiveness of purifying SWCNTs using surfactants, this study looks to develop a combinatorial purification technique using surfactants and acid to eliminate carbonaceous and metallic impurities from SWCNTs, while testing its effectiveness and feasibility for mass production. SWCNT purchased from Carbon Solutions, TimesNano and ANR Technologies were used as samples for the experimental method, which was developed and tested over the FYP. The method is divided into two distinct parts, namely Surfactant Method and Acid Treatment, which were carried out in succession. The Experimental results were then compared primarily through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and discussed in the report presented below. At the end of the project, we were able to successfully demonstrate the effectiveness of the Surfactant Method in removing carbonaceous impurities and short-chain SWCNT, while the extraction of metallic impurities through Acid Treatment showed promising results but remained largely inconclusive, pending further analysis. Overall, although unrefined in its current state, the project sufficiently displayed the potential for our experimental two-step surfactant-acid method as an economical and scalable purification procedure suitable for mass production, encouraging a greater allocation of time and resources into furthering its development.