"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
Technical. This project will explore a novel method for deposition of large-scale ordered arrays of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The aim is to enhance current understanding of the properties of nanomaterials by: 1) investigating a mild technique for purification of SWNTs, 2) investigating the electrical applications of SWNT networks, and 3) studying the effect of SWNT density on electrochemical response. The SWNT deposition method involves formation of electrically continuous SWNT arrays from aqueous suspensions. A major advantage is expected since solution deposition processes decouple the growth process (which occurs at ~800C) from the deposition process (which occurs at room temperature). This allows purification of the material to remove residual impurities, as well as the use of heat sensitive substrates, presenting an increased area of potential applications. Non-Technical. The project addresses fundamental research issues in a topical area of electronic/photonic materials science having technological relevance. A major impediment to the incorporation of SWNTs into manufacturable electronic devices is the lack of low-temperature deposition methods for the formation of low-density arrays of aligned SWNTs. This effort provides a route to incorporation of molecular level systems into electronic systems that have direct applications in flexible electronics and optoelectronics. This research will also provide an excel-lent opportunity to teach the fundamental aspects of nanoscience investigations to a broad range of the populace. Integration of teaching and research will involve outreach at the elementary-, high school-, undergraduate- and graduate-level. The PI receives support for teaching and men-toring performed with the NSF-funded Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PSLAMP) program. Further, the PI has recently recruited two African American female graduate students to this university. Research opportunities are extended to undergraduate stu-dents at nearby historically black colleges in Atlanta through the NSF-funded Summer Under-graduate Research Program (SURP) program. Undergraduate and graduate researchers will work together on this project, experiencing and building teamwork skills.
