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US6949237: Method for growing single-wall carbon nanotubes utlizing seed molecules

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Filing Information

Inventor(s) Richard E. Smalley · Daniel T. Colbert · Hongjie Dai · Jie Liu · Andrew G. Rinzler · Jason H. Hafner · Kenneth A. Smith · Ting Guo · Pavel Nikolaev · Andreas Thess ·
Assignee(s) William Marsh Rice University ·
Attorney/Agent(s) Ross Spencer Garsson · Robert C. Shaddox · Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C. ·
Primary Examiner Stuart L. Hendrickson ·
Assistant Examiner Peter J Lish ·
Application Number US10032726
Filing date 12/28/2001
Issue date 09/27/2005
Prior Publication Data
Predicted expiration date 07/20/2019
Patent term adjustment 501
U.S. Classifications 423/447.3  · 423/445.R  · 423/447.1  ·
International Classifications --
Kind CodeB2
International Classifications 4234473 · 4234471 · 423445 R ·
Related U.S. Application DataRELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/380,545, filed on Dec. 22, 1999, entitled “CARBON FIBERS FORMED FROM SINGLE-WALL CARBON NANOTUBES,” which is the 35 U.S.C. § 371 national application of International Application Number PCT/US98/04513 filed on Mar. 6, 1998, which designated the United States, claiming priority to: provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/067,325, filed on Dec. 5, 1997; provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/064,531, filed on Nov. 5, 1997; provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/063,675, filed on Oct. 29, 1997; provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/055,037, filed on Aug. 8, 1997; provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/047,854, filed on May 29, 1997; and provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/040,152, filed on Mar. 7, 1997. Each of the foregoing applications is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
6 Claims, 21 Drawings


Abstract

This invention relates generally to a method for growing single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) from seed molecules. The supported or unsupported SWNT seed materials can be combined with a suitable growth catalyst by opening SWNT molecule ends and depositing a metal atom cluster. In one embodiment, a suspension of seed particles containing attached catalysts is injected into an evaporation zone to provide an entrained reactive nanoparticle. A carbonaceous feedstock gas is then introduced into the nanoparticle stream under conditions to grow single-wall carbon nanotubes. Recovery of the product produced can be done by filtration, centrifugation and the like.

Independent Claims | See all claims (6)

  1. 1. A method for growing single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising: (a) providing seed molecules comprising segments of single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are attached to active catalyst particles, and wherein the active catalyst particles comprise a Group VI metal; (b) subjecting the seed molecules and a carbon-containing feedstock gas to conditions capable of growing single-wall carbon nanotubes; (c) growing single-wall carbon nanotube material; and (d) recovering the single-wall carbon nanotube material.
  2. 3. A method for growing single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising: (a) providing seed molecules comprising segments of single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are attached to active catalyst particles; (b) subjecting the seed molecules and a carbon-containing feedstock gas to conditions capable of growing single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon containing feedstock gas comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of graphite particles and fullerenes; (c) growing single-wall carbon nanotube material; and (d) recovering the single-wall carbon nanotube material.
  3. 5. A method for growing single-wall carbon nanotubes comprising: (a) providing seed molecules comprising segments of single-wall carbon nanotubes, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes are attached to active catalyst particles; (b) subjecting the seed molecules and a carbon-containing feedstock gas to conditions capable of growing single-wall carbon nanotubes; (c) growing additional single-wall carbon nanotube material; and (d) recovering the single-wall carbon nanotube material, and wherein the single-wall carbon nanotube material comprises a felt.

References Cited

U.S. Patent Documents

Document NumberAssigneesInventorsIssue/Pub Date
US5698175 NEC Corporation Hiura et al. Dec 1997

Foreign Patent Documents

Document NumberAssigneesInventorsIssue/Pub Date
EP1176234HYPERION CATALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, INC.Dec 1993

Other Publications

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Thess, et al., “Crystalline Ropes of Metallic Carbon Nanotubes,” Science, vol. 273, Jul. 26, 1996, pp. 483-487.
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Chen, “Growth and Properties of Carbon Nanotubes,” Thesis for the degree Master of Science, Rice University, Houston, Texas, May 1995.
Rinzler, et al., “Field Emission and Growth of Fullerene Nanotubes,” Presented at the Fall, 1994 MRS Meeting, Nov. 28, 1994, Boston, submitted for MRS proceedings, vol. 359.
Gamaly, et al., “Mechanism of carbon nanotube formation in the arc discharge,” Physical Review B, vol. 52, No. 3, Jul. 15, 1995-I, pp. 2083-2089.
Ge, et al. “Scanning tunneling microscopy of single-shell nanotubes of carbon,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 65(18), Oct. 31, 1994, pp. 2284-2286.

Referenced By

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US7589880 The Trustees of Boston College Krzysztof J. Kempa et al. Sep 2009
US7591989 Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique Olivier Smiljanic et al. Sep 2009
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