Synthesis and Electronic Transport in Known Chirality Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are intriguing new materials with extraordinary electrical properties originating from their quasi 1-dimensional structure and a strong, all carbon lattice. They have great potential for use in electronic and energy related applications, such as low resistance metal interconnects, optically transparent conducting films for display applications, high surface area catalytic support, etc. However, a major roadblock for practical usage of carbon nanotubes is the limited understanding of its synthesis and electrical properties. The first half of the thesis probes into the existing challenges of carbon nanotube synthesis through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Nanotubes grown with various synthesis techniques are characterized with Rayleigh spectroscopy, enabling the development of finely tuned recipes that deliver clean and unbundled single wall carbon nanotubes. Two technological applications which directly utilize nanotubes coming from CVD growth are discussed. The first application uses them as high surface area electrodes in a enzyme mediated bio-fuel cell and the second application finds their use as transparent and conducting films