SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES: FROM DISCOVERY TO APPLICATION

Ching-Hwa Kiang
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 3064 Young Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569

Single-walled carbon nanotubes, an all carbon polymer derived from fullerence research, has recently been discovered to be stable and possess useful chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties. These tubular carbon materials are composed of single-layer graphene cylinders and have dimensions on the nanometer scale. The discovery and catalytic synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes will be discussed. A growth model, consistent with all known experimental data and supported by first-principle calculations, will be offered for these single-walled nanotubes. Structural characterizations of single-walled carbon nanotubes will be presented. Applications of these materials to flat-panel displays, electronic devices, biosensors, and structural reinforcing will be discussed. Proof-of-principal experiments for hydrogen storage will be presented.