Effect of post-annealing on single-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized by arc-discharge

In this study, high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were prepared by removing the unreacted metal constituents and amorphous carbon impurities using a post-annealing process. Unlike conventional thermal processing techniques, this technique involved different gas atmospheres for efficient removal of impurities. A heat treatment was conducted in the presence of chlorine, oxygen, and chlorine + oxygen gases. The nanotubes demonstrated the best characteristics, when the heat treatment was conducted in the presence of a mixture of chlorine and oxygen gases. The scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet absorbance, and sheet resistance measurements showed that the heat treatment process efficiently removed the unreacted metal and amorphous carbon impurities from the as-synthesized SWCNTs. The high-purity SWCNTs exhibited improved electrical conductivities. Such high-purity SWCNTs can be used in various carbon composites for improving the sensitivity of gas sensors.