Pure Appl. Chem., 2006, Vol. 78, No. 9, pp. 1703-1713
doi:10.1351/pac200678091703
Large-scale production of carbon nanotubes and their applications*
Morinobu Endo, Takuya Hayashi, and Yoong-Ahm Kim
Faculty of Engineering, Shinshu University 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano-shi 380 8553, Japan
Abstract:
Carbon nanotubes consisting of a rolled graphene layer built from sp2 units have attracted the imagination of scientists as 1D macromolecules. Here, we will describe the recent progress on selective synthesis of various carbon nanotubes through the judicious control of synthetic conditions and their practical applications of these carbon nanotubes in the fields of electrochemical systems, nanocomposites, and medical devices. It is envisaged that carbon nanotubes will play an important role in the development of nanotechnology in the near future.
Keywords: carbon nanotubes; chemical vapor deposition; electrochemical systems; microcatheters; purification.
*Paper based on a presentation at the 3rd IUPAC Workshop on New Directions in Chemistry - Workshop on Nanostructured Advanced Materials (WAM III), Stellenbosch, South Africa, 5-9 September 2005. Other presentations are published in this issue, pp. 1619-1801.