Summary.
A novel experimental technique for the separation of nanotubes from other unwanted carbon species in arc generated carbon soot is described. A conjugated polymer was used to bind to nanotubes in solution. The resultant hybrid was soluble, whereas extraneous carbon material formed a sediment at the bottom of the sample bottle. The process was monitored using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy showing that 63% of nanotubes were kept in solution and 98.1% of impurities were rejected. This non-destructive purification allowed the calculation of the nanotube content in the carbon soot using EPR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The measurement of nanotube content gave a purity value of 34% for the soot used in this study; this is compatible with estimates from electron microscopic determinations.
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Received June 23, 2000. Accepted July 3, 2000
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Coleman, J., O’Brien, D., McCarthy, B. et al. Nanotube Content in Arc Generated Carbon Powder. Monatshefte fuer Chemie 132, 53–61 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007060170144
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007060170144