Characterising functionalised nanotubes Single-walled carbon nanotubes are amazingly small cylinders made of one-atom thick carbon sheets. Scientists demonstrated for the first time novel functionalisations and the techniques to identify their effects. Industrial Technologies © Thinkstock The very large surface areas of carbon nanotubes compared to their volumes impart unique electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. This provides large interfaces (relatively speaking) for interactions with other materials. They can also be filled despite their small sizes, providing yet another route to functionalisation. EU-funded scientists launched the D1SCO-FIL project to advance our understanding of correlated 1D electronic and optical properties to an unprecedented level. They studied the nanotubes as part of functionalised hybrid or doped structures. D1SCO-FIL delivered the first published results regarding purification of boron-doped nanotubes, exploiting a dedicated rotor to study new ultracentrifugation methods for purification. The project also pioneered the ability to establish X-ray absorption and two types of emission footprints corresponding to specific pristine single-walled nanotubes. The technique facilitated very precise identification of changes in physical properties resulting from different types of functionalisation. Within its short two-year duration, D1SCO-FIL made an important contribution to the understanding and characterisation of modified nanotube 1D architectures. Advances in characterisation techniques will support the use of novel fillings and modifications for exciting new applications in nano-mechanics and nano-optics. Keywords Carbon, nanotubes, functionalisation, electronic, optical, hybrid, doped, boron, ultracentrifugation, X-ray absorption, emission footprints, nano-optics
