Carbon Nanotube Analysis by Raman Spectroscopy

Carbon nanotubes are fullerene-type structures which consist of graphene cylinders closed at either end. A nanotube can be thought of as a hexagonal network of carbon atoms that has been rolled up to make a seamless cylinder. Nanometer across, the cylinder can be tens of microns long, with each end "capped" with half a fullerene molecule. Studies have predicted that nanotubes can be conducting or insulating depending on their structure, which leads to applications in electronics. They also suggest that nanotubes should be immensely strong, becoming "the ultimate carbon fibers". Single-walled tubes have remarkable adsorptive and catalytic properties, and can be used as components of a new generation of fuel cells. This molecular nature is unprecedented for devices of this size. The challenge exists to find a method capable of finding these tiny particles and non-destructively analyze them for structural composition. Raman microspectroscopy is capable of doing that and more.