Suppression of Metallic Conductivity of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Cycloaddition Reactions
Mandakini Kanungo,1
Helen Lu,2
George G. Malliaras,1
Graciela B. Blanchet2*
The high carrier mobility of films of semiconducting single-walled
carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is attractive for electronics applications,
but the presence of metallic SWNTs leads to high off-currents
in transistor applications. The method presented here, cycloaddition
of fluorinated olefins, represents an effective approach toward
converting the "as grown" commercial SWNT mats into high-mobility
semiconducting tubes with high yield and without further need
for carbon nanotube separation. Thin-film transistors, fabricated
from percolating arrays of functionalized carbon nanotubes,
exhibit mobilities >100 square centimeters per volt-second
and on-off ratios of 100,000. This method should allow for the
use of semiconducting carbon nanotubes in commercial electronic
devices and provide a low-cost route to the fabrication of electronic
inks.
2 DuPont, Material Science and Engineering, Wilmington, DE 19880, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: graciela.b.blanchet{at}usa.dupont.com
