Characterization of Carbon Nanotubes

Diverse synthetic methods applied for the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials produce different CNTs with respect to chirality, catalysts, diameter, length, and impurity. Moreover, purification methods also show strong influence on the structure, sometimes it may open the CNT ends, or it may modify the length of the materials or the functional groups, which may cause some defects in the material. It is always important to determine the structure of the CNTs, as all the properties and functions of respective materials always depend on the quality and quantity of the material. Diverse synthetic methods applied for the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials produce different Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with respect to chirality, catalysts, diameter, length, and impurity. Moreover, purification methods also show strong influence on the structure, sometimes it may open the CNT ends, or it may modify the length of the materials or the functional groups, which may cause some defects in the material. The CNTs usually possess ballistic electron transport throughout the nanotubes due to their 1D structure at room temperature. To observe the size, shape, and structure of the CNTs, electron microscopy is one of the essential techniques. In order to investigate CNTs at large extent in terms of bond length and distortions in hexagonal network, one may require neutron diffraction. This technique is highly significant in determining the structural features of the molecules such as armchair, zig-zag, and chiral nanotubes even with smallest diameter.