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Updated: May 22, 2026
09:12
Functionalization of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes with Thermo-reversible Block Copolymers and Characterization by Small-angle Neutron Scattering
Published on: June 1, 2016
Using nitrile functional groups to replace amines for solution-deposited single-walled carbon nanotube network films
Justin P Opatkiewicz1, Melburne C LeMieux, Derrick Liu
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
ACS Nano
|May 17, 2012
Summary
Nitrile-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) offer improved control and reproducibility for adsorbing semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (S-SWNTs). This method enhances nanotube density and sorting efficiency for high-quality thin-film transistors (TFTs).
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Amine-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are used for adsorbing semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (S-SWNTs).
- However, amine-based SAM formation is sensitive to processing conditions, leading to poor quality and reproducibility.
- This hinders the effective surface sorting of S-SWNTs for fabricating semiconducting nanotube networks (SWNTnts).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of nitrile-functionalized SAMs as a more controllable and reproducible alternative to amine-based SAMs for S-SWNT adsorption and sorting.
- To evaluate the performance of SWNTnts fabricated using nitrile-based SAMs in thin-film transistors (TFTs).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of nitrile-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs).
- Deposition of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) onto nitrile-functionalized surfaces.
- Characterization of SWNT density and sorting using micro-Raman spectroscopy.
- Fabrication and testing of thin-film transistors (TFTs) using the sorted SWNT networks.
Main Results:
- Nitrile-based SAMs offer more controllable and reproducible film formation compared to amine-based SAMs.
- Nitrile surfaces adsorb higher densities of SWNTs and exhibit improved nanotube sorting efficiency.
- Thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated on nitrile surfaces demonstrate higher device quality.
Conclusions:
- Replacing amine with nitrile groups in SAMs significantly enhances the surface sorting and adsorption of SWNTs.
- Nitrile-based SAMs provide a more robust and effective platform for fabricating high-performance SWNT network-based devices.
- This work expands the utility of surface sorting for nanotube separation and integration into electronic devices.
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