Horizontal Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Arrays: Controlled Synthesis, Characterizations, and Applications

Abstract

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) emerge as a promising material to advance carbon nanoelectronics. However, synthesizing or assembling pure metallic/semiconducting SWNTs required for interconnects/integrated circuits, respectively, by a conventional chemical vapor deposition method or by an assembly technique remains challenging. Recent studies have shown significant scientific breakthroughs in controlled SWNT synthesis/assembly and applications in scaled field effect transistors, which are a critical component in functional nanodevices, thereby rendering the horizontal SWNT array an important candidate for innovating nanotechnology. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the controlled synthesis, surface assembly, characterization techniques, and potential applications of horizontally aligned SWNT arrays. This review begins with the discussion of synthesis of horizontally aligned SWNTs with regulated direction, density, structure, and theoretical models applied to understand the growth results. Several traditional procedures applied for assembling SWNTs on target surface are also briefly discussed. It then discusses the techniques adopted to characterize SWNTs, ranging from electron/probe microscopy to various optical spectroscopy methods. Prototype applications based on the horizontally aligned SWNTs, such as interconnects, field effect transistors, integrated circuits, and even computers, are subsequently described. Finally, this review concludes with challenges and a brief outlook of the future development in this research field.

Precise Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes and One‐Dimensional Hybrids from Templates†

“…The growth kinetics of ( n , m ) SWCNTs also have attracted more attentions in recent years. [ 52,65,127 ] The (2 n , n ) and ( n , n –1) SWCNTs with the preferential growth kinetics were prepared assisted with the catalyst structure and symmetry. [ 128,241‐242 ] These fast‐growing chirality SWCNTs could be explained by the interface thermodynamics and kinetic growth theory mechanism.…”

“…Controlled synthesis of SWCNTs remains to be a great challenge for fully releasing the potentials of the material and also an essential issue for the future high‐end applications. [ 32,52‐55 ] The great achievement has been made in the post‐purification and controllable growth of SWCNTs. [ 32,56‐58 ] High purity ( n , m ) tubes can be separated by solution‐sorting methods now.…”

Self-Assembling Peptides and Carbon Nanomaterials Join Forces for Innovative Biomedical Applications

“…Depending on how the graphene sheet is rolled into the tubular structure, different chirality and electronic properties arise [ 160 ]. High-purity sorted CNTs find a myriad of innovative applications, especially in sensing [ 161 ], nanoelectronics [ 162 ], and even implantable biosensors [ 163 ].…”

Carbon Nanomaterials (CNMs) and Enzymes: From Nanozymes to CNM-Enzyme Conjugates and Biodegradation

“…Key areas of application include various types of high-performing composite materials, where demands of conductivity, robustness, flexibility, and mechanical resistance are high [ 154 ]. These include artificial neuromuscular prostheses [ 155 , 156 ], and more generally nano-bioelectronics [ 157 ] and wearable electronics [ 158 ], but also sensing [ 159 ] and imaging [ 160 ], orthopedic devices [ 161 ], tissue regeneration and biomedical use [ 162 , 163 , 164 ], electroactive materials for environmental and energy technology [ 165 , 166 , 167 , 168 , 169 , 170 , 171 ], electronics and computing [ 172 , 173 ], and various forms of catalysis [ 174 , 175 , 176 , 177 , 178 , 179 ].…”