In Situ Characterization of Nanoparticles Using Rayleigh Scattering (CAT#: STEM-ST-0008-YJL)

Introduction

Since their discovery in 19911 carbon nanotubes have attracted great attention due to the expectation that they could lead to electronic devices with unprecedented capabilities. So far this expectation has not been fulfilled, mainly because it has not been possible to access large yields of single-walled nanotubes (SWNT) with a well-defined chirality, which is the key factor governing their electronic properties. Defect-free SWNTs are typically extracted from synthesis products that contain a mixture of defective and non defective nanotubes.
A major stumbling block on the way of devising controlled synthesis processes is the lack of detailed microscopic knowledge of the processes responsible for the growth of the carbon nanoparticles. To better understand these processes experimental techniques that can characterize the particles in situ during the early stages of growth would be extremely useful.