RUI: High Pressure Studies of Carbon Nanotubes

Oakland University, Rochester MI

Investigators

Abstract

0104176 Venkateswaran This individual investigator award will fund a professor at a predominately undergraduate institution for a research project that will investigate the optical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes subjected to high pressure. During the three-year period, the following experiments will be performed: (1) High-pressure Raman studies on solubilized single walled carbon nanotube samples that contain individual tubes and small bundles of 2-3 tubes, leading to an. understanding of the effects of van der Waals coupling between the tubes. (2) Raman studies on iodine and C60 doped nanotubes aimed at probing the effects of encapsulated atoms on the vibrational properties of nanotubes. (3) Development of experimental techniques to measure electrical transport properties at elevated pressures and study of the gas adsorption properties of nanotubes as reflected by the changes in their electrical resistivity and thermopower. A key component of this proposal is the involvement of undergraduate students in research. Research collaborations with the Pennsylvania State University, proposed in this project, will provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to visit a research university and participate in materials synthesis. Our experimental research is expected to stimulate further theoretical work on carbon nanotubes and related materials. %%% The dominant technological thrust of the twenty-first century will be the new ability to control materials properties and fabricate devices at the nanoscale level. Carbon nanotubes are unique molecular structures in the form of tiny, long tubes made of carbon atoms. They are light, have high mechanical strength and flexibility, and can exhibit metallic or semiconducting electrical behavior. These versatile properties make carbon nanotubes strong candidates for the basis of innovation in nanotechnology. The rapid progress made in the field of carbon nanotubes in the recent years, promise interesting possibilities for a wide variety of applications. However, to develop this potential to the level of reliable devices, a deeper understanding of their fundamental physical properties is needed. This individual investigator award will fund a professor at a predominately undergraduate institution for a research project that will study the optical and electrical properties of carbon nanotubes and train undergraduate students in materials characterization techniques. This project focuses on the understanding of the fundamental interaction among tubes in nanotube bundles and on the effects of introducing other molecules, such as iodine or fullerene, inside the tubes as well in the channels between tubes in a bundle. In addition, the undergraduate students will have an opportunity to participate in frontier research in this exciting field. ***