Individual Single-Wall Carbon Nanohorns Separated from Aggregates

The isolation of individual single-wall carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) from spherical dahlia-shaped aggregates of SWNHs has been successfully achieved for the first time by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The shapes of the individual SWNHs took straight and two- and three-way branched forms. The lengths of the straight SWNHs or of each arm of the branched types were 10−70 nm, and their diameters were 2−10 nm. This new type of nanocarbon tubules will advance research of the applications of carbon nanostructures.