Developing Centrifugation Based Length Separation of SWCNTs for Advanced Applications

Carbon nanotubes are one of the most studied and potentially useful nanoparticles known. However, presently even the purest are only commercially available in mixtures of chiralities and lengths. Even though numerous lab scale methods to separate them have been demonstrated, few offer the potential to be scaled and offered as a product. Eikos has found that, for many applications, nanotube length is a far more critical variable for performance than chirality or electronic type. Eikos proposes to separate single walled carbon nanootubes by length using rate-based superspeed centrifugation. Eikos will develop a low-cost scalable process by using low g-force, large capacity centrifuge separation and an inexpensive density medium. By choosing the appropriate equipment and materials, Eikos can meet a cost target of $2 per milligram. The project has two main objectives: (1) duplication of the NIST process on a small scale using a sucrose dense medium and (2) demonstration of large scale length separation using a large centrifuge rotor. Furthermore, all materials will be fully characterized and samples will be sent to NIST for verification.