Enhanced carbon nanotube wire
View Patent ↗Techniques for manufacturing an enhanced carbon nanotube (CNT) wire are provided. In one embodiment, an enhanced CNT wire may be manufactured by immersing a metal tip into a CNT colloidal solution, withdrawing the metal tip from the CNT colloidal solution, and then coating the CNT wire with a polymer.
1. A method for manufacturing an enhanced carbon nanotube (CNT) wire, comprising:
providing a metal tip and a CNT colloidal solution;
forming a CNT wire, wherein forming the CNT wire comprises;
immersing the metal tip at least partially into the CNT colloidal solution; and
withdrawing the metal tip from the CNT colloidal solution to form a CNT wire, wherein the CNT wire is formed without applying a voltage between the metal tip and the CNT colloidal solution, and the wire has a length of about 3 cm or more; and
directly coating at least a portion of carbon nanotubes in the CNT wire with a polymer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the PDMS is less than or equal to about 1 μm.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CNT wire is entirely coated with the polymer.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal tip is made from tungsten (W).
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the immersing further comprises dwelling the metal tip in the CNT colloidal solution for a predetermined time.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the providing comprises containing the CNT colloidal solution in a vessel, and wherein the withdrawing comprises lowering the vessel substantially vertically.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the withdrawing comprises lifting the metal tip substantially vertically.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the withdrawing comprises simultaneously lowering a vessel containing the CNT colloidal solution and lifting the metal tip.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the CNT colloidal solution comprises dispersing purified CNTs into dimethylformamide (DMF).
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the dispersing comprises dispersing the purified CNTs in the DMF at a concentration of about 0.05 mg/ml.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the purified CNTs are single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs).
13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the withdrawing is performed at room temperature.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal tip is immersed in the CNT colloidal solution for about 2 to about 10 minutes.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal tip is immersed in the CNT colloidal solution for about 4 to about 7 minutes.
16. A method for manufacturing an enhanced carbon nanotube (CNT) wire, comprising:
forming a CNT wire, wherein forming the CNT wire consists of: immersing a metal tip at least partially into the CNT colloidal solution; and withdrawing the metal tip from the CNT colloidal solution, wherein the wire has a length in a range of about 3 cm to about 10 m; and
coating at least a portion of the CNT wire with a polymer, wherein the polymer is selected from group consisting of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polypropylene, polyolefin, and polyurethane.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from group consisting of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polypropylene, polyolefin, and polyurethane.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the polymer is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wire has a length in a range of about 3 cm to about 10 cm.