Carbon nanotubes that are prone to tangle like spaghetti can use a little special sauce to realize their full potential.
Rice University scientists have come up with just the sauce, an acid-based solvent that simplifies carbon nanotube processing in a way that's easier to scale up for industrial applications.
The Rice lab of Matteo Pasquali reported in Science Advances on its discovery of a unique combination of acids that helps separate nanotubes in a solution and turn them into films, fibers or other materials with excellent electrical and mechanical properties.
The study co-led by graduate alumnus Robert Headrick and graduate student Steven Williams reports the solvent is compatible with conventional manufacturing processes. That should help it find a place in the production of advanced materials for many applications.
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