The heterogeneity of as-synthesized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) precludes their widespread application in electronics, optics and sensing. We report on the sorting of carbon nanotubes by diameter, bandgap and electronic type using structure-discriminating surfactants to engineer subtle differences in their buoyant densities. Using the scalable technique of density-gradient ultracentrifugation, we have isolated narrow distributions of SWNTs in which >97% are within a 0.02-nm-diameter range. Furthermore, using competing mixtures of surfactants, we have produced bulk quantities of SWNTs of predominantly a single electronic type. These materials were used to fabricate thin-film electrical devices of networked SWNTs characterized by either metallic or semiconducting behaviour.

Carbon nanotubes display either metallic or semiconducting properties. Both large, multiwalled nanotubes (MWNTs), with many concentric carbon shells, and bundles or "ropes" of aligned single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs), are complex composite conductors that incorporate many weakly coupled nanotubes that each have a different electronic structure. Here we demonstrate a simple and reliable method for selectively removing single carbon shells from MWNTs and SWNT ropes to tailor the properties of these composite nanotubes. We can remove shells of MWNTs stepwise and individually characterize the different shells. By choosing among the shells, we can convert a MWNT into either a metallic or a semiconducting conductor, as well as directly address the issue of multiple-shell transport. With SWNT ropes, similar selectivity allows us to generate entire arrays of nanoscale field-effect transistors based solely on the fraction of semiconducting SWNTs.

Vascular disease and cancer have become the leading causes of death among Chinese adults. Our findings suggest that control of hypertension, smoking cessation, increased physical activity, and improved nutrition should be important strategies for reducing the burden of premature death among adults in China.

We have fabricated field-effect transistors (FETs) based on single SnO2 and ZnO nanobelts of thicknesses between 10 and 30 nm. Switching ratios as large as 6 orders of magnitude and conductivities as high as 15 (Ω cm)-1 are observed. Annealing SnO2 nanobelt FETs in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere produces a negative shift in gate threshold voltage, indicating doping by the generation of surface oxygen vacancies. This treatment provides an effective way of tuning the electrical performance of the nanobelt devices. The ability of SnO2 FETs to act as gas sensors is also demonstrated. SnO2 FETs with lengths of about 500 nm or less show an anomalous behavior where the conductance cannot be modulated by the gate. ZnO nanobelt FETs are sensitive to ultraviolet light. Both photogeneration of electron−hole pairs and doping by UV induced surface desorption contribute to the conductivity.

Summary Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells suggested to be critical for tumor maintenance, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Prospective identification and targeting of CSCs are therefore priorities for the development of novel therapeutic paradigms. While CSC enrichment has been achieved with cell surface proteins including CD133 (Prominin-1), the roles of current CSC markers in tumor maintenance remain unclear. We examined the glioblastoma stem cell (GSC) perivascular microenvironment in patient specimens to identify enrichment markers with a functional significance and identified integrin α6 as a candidate. Integrin α6 is co-expressed with conventional GSC markers and enriches for GSCs. Targeting integrin α6 in GSCs inhibits self-renewal, proliferation, and tumor formation capacity. Our results provide evidence that GSCs express high levels of integrin α6, which can not only serve as an enrichment marker but also as a promising anti-glioblastoma therapy.