Work

Chemically Induced Conductance Switching in Carbon Nanotube Circuits

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: The chemical reactivity of carbon nanotubes in H2SO4 is investigated using individual, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) incorporated into electronic devices. Exploiting the device conductance as a sensitive indicator of chemical reactions, discrete oxidation and reduction events can be clearly observed. During oxidation, a SWNT opens circuits to a nanometer-scale tunnel junction with residual conduction similar to Frenkel-Poole charge emission. When electrochemically reduced, a SWNT returns to its original conductance. This redox cycle can be repeated many times, suggesting a novel chemical method of reversibly switching SWNT conductivity.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.97.016601

Authors: Jaan Mannik, Brett R. Goldsmith, Alexander Kane, Philip G. Collins

Institution: University of California, Irvine

Language: English

Topic: Carbon Nanotubes in Composites

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research

Awards: CAREER: Electronic, Chemical, and Mechanical Interactions at the Nanometer and Single - Molecule Scale, NIRT: Direct Electronic Sensing of Biomolecular Activity and Signaling