Method of isolating semiconducting carbon nanotubes

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of isolating semiconducting carbon nanotubes, comprising: mixing carbon nanotubes with a mixed acid solution of nitric acid and sulfuric acid to obtain a carbon nanotube dispersion; stirring the carbon nanotube dispersion at room temperature; and filtering the carbon nanotube dispersion; wherein a volume ratio of nitric acid: sulfuric acid in the mixed acid solution is in the range of about 1:9 to about 2:8.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stirring is performed for about one to three hours.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filtering of the carbon nanotube dispersion is performed using a filter having micropores about several microns in size.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising removing from filtered carbon nanotubes functional groups formed during the stirring.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein removing functional groups comprises heating the filtered carbon nanotubes.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the heating of the filtered carbon nanotubes is performed at a temperature of about 600 to 1000.degree. C.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the heating of the filtered carbon nanotubes is performed in a vacuum or in an argon atmosphere.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising filtering impurities using a mesh, after stirring the carbon nanotube dispersion.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising purifying crude carbon nanotubes before mixing the carbon nanotubes with the mixed acid solution.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the crude carbon nanotubes are purified by vapor heat treatment or acid treatment.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein filtering the carbon nanotube dispersion includes removing the semiconducting carbon nanotubes from the carbon nanotube dispersion.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein stirring the carbon nanotube dispersion includes reacting the carbon nanotubes with at least a nitronium ion.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein reacting the carbon nanotubes includes selectively shortening a portion of the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube dispersion.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein selectively shortening a portion of the carbon nanotubes includes shortening metallic carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube dispersion relative to the semiconducting nanotubes therein.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein filtering the carbon nanotube dispersion includes separating the metallic carbon nanotubes from the semiconducting carbon nanotubes.