Characteristics and Applications of Carbon Nanotubes with Different Numbers of Walls

摘要: Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are quasi-one-dimensional (1D) tubular forms of sp2 carbon networks. They may contain one to several tens concentric graphitic shells and typically 1–50 nm in diameter many micrometres length. This fascinating class new structures, first known as multi-walled (MWCNTs), was unambiguously elucidated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy by Iijima 1991. Two years later, single-walled (SWCNTs) were synthesized Ichihashi Bethune et al. Subsequently, crystalline ropes closely packed SWCNTs containing hundreds tubes similar diameters Smalley co-workers made widely available the research community. In between MWCNTs lies a unique, but much less-explored member this family, double-walled (DWCNTs), which consist exactly two SWCNTs, nested within another.