Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical carbon molecules with properties that make them useful in a wide variety of applications. Carbon nanotubes exhibit exceptional mechanical strength and electrical properties and are useful heat conductors.
Carbon nanotubes can occur in single-walled and multi-walled forms. The structure of a single-walled nanotube (SWNT) can be conceptualized by wrapping a 1 atom-thick layer of graphite/graphene into a cylinder. The properties of the carbon nanotubes may be affected by the path taken to wrap the graphite/graphene during formation. Carbon nanotubes may exhibit electrical properties such as conductive or semiconductive properties. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) can be conceptualized as multiple layers of graphite/graphene rolled in on themselves to form a tube shape. SWNTs may exhibit either conductive or semiconductive electrical properties. MWNTs may exhibit conductive electrical properties.
The combination of electronic and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes has lead to wide ranging proposals for their potential use in future electronics and materials applications, field emitter devices, sensors, electrodes, high strength composites, and storage structures of hydrogen, lithium and other metals for example.
Where the carbon nanotube structures exhibit semiconductive electrical properties, it is of interest to isolate bulk amounts thereof for semiconductor uses.
While disclosed embodiments may be motivated in addressing the above identified issues, they are in no way so limited.