Simple Method to Turn Carbon Nanotubes into Valuable Graphene Nanoribbons

Highly conductive graphene nanoribbons are finding their way into the marketplace in composite materials. The nanoribbons boost the materials' electronic properties and/or strength. A simple way to turn carbon nanotubes into valuable graphene nanoribbons may be to grind them, according to research led by Rice University. Rice materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan says the trick is to mix two types of chemically modified nanotubes. When they come into contact during grinding, they react and unzip, a process that until now has depended largely on reactions in harsh chemical solutions. The new process is still a chemical reaction that depends on molecules purposely attached to the nanotubes, a process called functionalization. The most interesting part to the researchers is that a process as simple as grinding could deliver strong chemical coupling between solid nanostructures and produce novel forms of nanostructured products with specific properties.

Transcript

00:00:00 [Music] [Music] so First We Take You know the carboxilic function ize carbon nanot tubes and pour it into the mort imp [Music] pestel and then afterwards we pull the hydroxide functionalized carbon nanot tubes which is the O carbon nanot tubes into the mortar p pestel as well and

00:00:49 then afterwards this is followed by the grinding of these carbon nanit tubes you know we we continuously grind through in this mortar and pestel in this mortar basically for you know like 10 15 20 minutes and uh during this time basically we are unzipping these carbon nanot tubes and producing these these low defect these low defect graphine

00:01:15 Nano ribbons with high quality and as you can see you know no matter how much uh quantity we want we can basically produce it's a very simple solid state process you know that we only need like a more p and two functionalized carbon nanot tubes with these Special molecules to just get these high quality of graphine nanor ribbons it's actually you know the first

00:01:41 solid state chemical reaction between any carbon nit tubes nothing has happened like that similar to that so I mean that's why you know this is quite a significant uh work and quite a significant Discovery cuz this very simple like you know process we totally avoid use of any harsh chemicals in this case guaranteeing the mass production of

00:02:03 smooth unwrinkled graphine n ribbons that could be directly implemented in devices and in different applications such as electrical applications such as sensors Etc varying and using different types of uh functionalities in different nanoscale systems actually would be the key in revolutionizing nanomaterial development its properties and its applications in an industrial

00:02:28 world are there any other scientists you think that are getting this much of a workout doing research oh no I guess not to be honest my left finger would actually you know confess and you know be a witness of that thing basically my left thumb yeah it's a workout yeah total workout like you could see the sweat I mean [Music]