Universal Selective Dispersion of Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes from Commercial Sources Using a Supramolecular Polymer

High-Performance Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Transistors Using Naphthalene Diimide-Based Polymers with Biaxially Extended Conjugated Side Chains

Polymer-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are a potential method for obtaining high-purity semiconducting (sc) SWNT solutions. Conjugated polymers (CPs) can selectively sort sc-SWNTs with different chiralities, and the structure of the polymer side chains influences this sorting capability. While extensive research has been conducted on modifying the physical, optical, and electrical properties of CPs through side-chain modifications, the impact of these modifications on the sorting efficiency of sc-SWNTs remains underexplored. This study investigates the introduction of various conjugated side chains into naphthalene diimide-based CPs to create a biaxially extended conjugation pattern. The CP with a branched conjugated side chain (P3) exhibits reduced aggregation, resulting in improved wrapping ability and the formation of larger bundles of high-purity sc-SWNTs. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that the potential interaction between sc-SWNTs and CPs occurs through π-π stacking. The field-effect transistor device fabricated with P3/sc-SWNTs demonstrates exceptional performance, with a significantly enhanced hole mobility of 4.72 cm2 V-1 s-1 and high endurance/bias stability. These findings suggest that biaxially extended side-chain modification is a promising strategy for improving the sorting efficiency and performance of sc-SWNTs by using CPs. This achievement can facilitate the development of more efficient and stable electronic devices.

Efficient Sorting of Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Bio-Renewable Solvents Through Main-Chain Engineering of Conjugated Polymers

Conjugated polymer sorting is recognized as an efficient and scalable method for the selective extraction of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs). However, this process typically requires the use of nonpolar and aromatic solvents as the dispersion medium, which are petroleum-based and carry significant production hazards. Moreover, there is still potential for improving the efficiency of batch purification. Here, this study presents fluorene-based conjugated polymer that integrates diamines containing ethylene glycol chains (ODA) as linkers within the main chain, to effectively extract s-SWCNTs in bio-renewable solvents. The introduction of ODA segments enhances the solubility in bio-renewable solvents, facilitating effective wrapping of s-SWCNTs in polar environments. Additionally, the ODA within the main chain enhances affinity to s-SWCNTs, thereby contributing to increased yields and purity. The polymer achieves a high sorting yield of 55% and a purity of 99.6% in dispersion of s-SWCNTs in 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran. Thin-film transistor arrays fabricated with sorted s-SWCNTs solution through slot-die coating exhibit average charge carrier mobilities of 20-23 cm2 V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and high on/off current ratios exceeding 105 together with high spatial uniformity. This study highlights the viability of bio-renewable solvents in the sorting process, paving the way for the eco-friendly approach to the purification of SWCNTs.

Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Extraction Enabled by Alkylated Cellulose Wrapping

With the growing demand for postsilicon electronics, the purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in terms of their chirality, which defines their atomic and electronic structure, is becoming increasingly important. Herein, we demonstrate the selective extraction of high-quality semiconducting SWCNTs using alkyl cellulose as a dispersant in organic solvents. We investigated the separation factors of dispersant structures, such as the degree of substitution (DS) and molecular weight, and clarified the appropriate dispersant structures, such as moderately substituted hexyl cellulose, for selective semiconducting SWCNT extraction. Due to the improved purity and quality of the semiconducting SWCNTs obtained by this method, their films exhibit excellent thermoelectric power factors, outperforming not only unsorted SWCNTs but also conducting polymer-sorted SWCNTs. This sorting technology paves the way for supplying high-quality semiconducting SWCNTs in a viable manner.

Enrichment of Large-Diameter Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Conjugated Polymer-Assisted Separation

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) with large diameters are highly desired in the construction of high performance optoelectronic devices. However, it is difficult to selectively prepare large-diameter s-SWCNTs since their structure and chemical stability are quite similar with their metallic counterparts. In this work, we use SWCNTs with large diameter as a raw material, conjugated polymer of regioregular poly-(3-dodecylthiophene) (rr-P3DDT) with long side chain as a wrapping agent to selectively separate large-diameter s-SWCNTs. It is found that s-SWCNTs with a diameter of ~1.9 nm are effectively enriched, which shows a clean surface. By using the sorted s-SWCNTs as a channel material, we constructed thin-film transistors showing charge-carrier mobilities higher than 10 cm² V^-1 s^-1 and on/off ratios higher than 10³.

High Permittivity Polymer Composites on the Basis of Long Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: The Role of the Nanotube Length

Controlling the permittivity of dielectric composites is critical for numerous applications dealing with matter/electromagnetic radiation interaction. In this study, we have prepared polymer composites, based on a silicone elastomer matrix and Tuball carbon nanotubes (CNT) via a simple preparation procedure. The as-prepared composites demonstrated record-high dielectric permittivity both in the low-frequency range (102−107 Hz) and in the X-band (8.2−12.4 GHz), significantly exceeding the literature data for such types of composite materials at similar CNT content. Thus, with the 2 wt% filler loading, the permittivity values reach 360 at 106 Hz and >26 in the entire X-band. In similar literature, even the use of conductive polymer hosts and various highly conductive additives had not resulted in such high permittivity values. We attribute this phenomenon to specific structural features of the used Tuball nanotubes, namely their length and ability to form in the polymer matrix percolating network in the form of neuron-shaped clusters. The low cost and large production volumes of Tuball nanotubes, as well as the ease of the composite preparation procedure open the doors for production of cost-efficient, low weight and flexible composites with superior high permittivity.

Sensors Based on the Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors for Chemical and Biological Analyses

Nano biochemical sensors play an important role in detecting the biomarkers related to human diseases, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become an important factor in promoting the vigorous development of this field due to their special structure and excellent electronic properties. This paper focuses on applying carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (CNT-FET) biochemical sensors to detect biomarkers. Firstly, the preparation method, physical and electronic properties and functional modification of CNTs are introduced. Then, the configuration and sensing mechanism of CNT-FETs are introduced. Finally, the latest progress in detecting nucleic acids, proteins, cells, gases and ions based on CNT-FET sensors is summarized.

Polyoxometalate steric hindrance driven chirality-selective separation of subnanometer carbon nanotubes

Subnanometer single-chirality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are of particular interest in multiple applications. Inspired by the interdisciplinary combination of redox active polyoxometalates and SWCNTs, here we report a cluster steric hindrance strategy by assembling polyoxometalates on the outer surface of subnanometer SWCNTs via electron transfer and demonstrate the selective separation of monochiral (6,5) SWCNTs with a diameter of 0.75 nm by a commercially available conjugated polymer. The combined use of DFT calculations, TEM, and XPS unveils the mechanism that selective separation is associated with tube diameter-dependent interactions between the tube and clusters. Sonication drives the preferential detachment of polyoxometalate clusters from small-diameter (6,5) SWCNTs, attributable to weak tube–cluster interactions, which enables the polymer wrapping and separation of the released SWCNTs, while strong binding clusters with large-diameter SWCNTs provide steric hindrance and block the polymer wrapping. The polyoxometalate-assisted modulation, which can be rationally customized, provides a universal and robust pathway for the separation of SWCNTs.

We develop a cluster steric hindrance strategy by assembling polyoxometalates on subnanometer single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and demonstrate the selective separation of single-chirality (6,5) SWCNTs via polymer extraction.

Enrichment of high-purity large-diameter semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes SWCNTs (s-SWCNTs) are considered one of the most promising alternatives to traditional silicon-based semiconductors. In particular, large-diameter s-SWCNTs (>1.2 nm) exhibit more advantages over small-diameter ones in high-performance electronic applications because of their higher charge carrier mobility and reduced Schottky barrier height. Great efforts have been made to enriching large-diameter s-SWCNTs from mass-produced raw CNTs that contain both metallic SWCNTs and s-SWCNTs. Among separation technologies, the effective and scalable ones are conjugated polymer wrapping (CPW), gel permeation chromatography (GC), aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE), and density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU). In this review, we survey recent progress on enriching large-diameter s-SWCNTs using those methods and outline the strategies and challenges in the separation according to the electronic type and chirality of SWCNTs. Finally, we highlight some applications of the enriched large-diameter s-SWCNTs and outlook for the future of SWCNT-based electronic devices.

Selective separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes in aqueous solution by assembling redox nanoclusters

The selective separation of soluble and individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in aqueous solution is a key step for harnessing the extraordinary properties of these materials. Manipulating the strong van der Waals intertube interactions between the SWCNT bundles is very important in selective separation, which is a long-standing challenge. Here we reported the ability of redox polyoxometalate clusters to modulate the intertube π-π stacking interaction through electron transfer and achieved the diameter-selective separation of SWCNTs in a surfactant aqueous solution. The large-diameter SWCNTs concentrated at ∼1.3-1.4 nm were selectively separated when ∼1 nm clusters encapsulated within the tube cavity, and the dispersion of subnanometer ∼0.7-0.9 nm SWCNTs was boosted when clusters were adsorbed on the outer surface of small-diameter nanotubes. The mechanism of diameter-selective separation of SWCNTs associated with the size-dependent interaction between cluster-tubes and the steric hindrance effect of clusters was revealed by optical absorption and Raman spectroscopy. This simple method thus enables the selective separation of individual high-quality SWCNTs in aqueous solutions without harsh sonication with the potential for other separation applications.

Mechanically interlocked derivatives of carbon nanotubes: synthesis and potential applications

An introduction to mechanically interlocked derivatives of single-walled carbon nanotubes: their main structural features, their potential advantages compared to covalent and supramolecular derivatives, how to synthesize them, and their most promising fields for application.

Host-Guest Molecular Interaction Enabled Separation of Large-Diameter Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) with a diameter of around 1.0-1.5 nm, which present bandgaps comparable to silicon, are highly desired for electronic applications. Therefore, the preparation of s-SWCNTs of such diameters has been attracting great attention. The inner surface of SWCNTs has a suitable curvature and large contacting area, which is attractive in host-guest chemistry triggered by electron transfer. Here we reported a strategy of host-guest molecular interaction between SWCNTs and inner clusters with designed size, thus selectively separating s-SWCNTs of expected diameters. When polyoxometalate clusters of ∼1 nm in size were filled in the inner cavities of SWCNTs, s-SWCNTs with diameters concentrated at ∼1.3-1.4 nm were selectively extracted with the purity of ∼98% by a commercially available polyfluorene derivative. The field-effect transistors built from the sorted s-SWCNTs showed a typical behavior of semiconductors. The sorting mechanisms associated with size-dependent electron transfer from nanotubes to inner polyoxometalate were revealed by the spectroscopic and in situ electron microscopic evidence as well as the theoretical calculation. The polyoxometalates with designable size and redox property enable the flexible regulation of interaction between the nanotubes and the clusters, thus tuning the diameter of sorted s-SWCNTs. The present sorting strategy is simple and should be generally feasible in other SWCNT sorting techniques, bringing both great easiness in dispersant design and improved selectivity.

Excess Polymer in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors: Its Removal Prior to Fabrication Is Unnecessary

Ultrapure semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube (sc-SWNT) dispersions produced through conjugated polymer sorting are ideal candidates for the fabrication of solution-processed organic electronic devices on a commercial scale. Protocols for sorting and dispersing ultrapure sc-SWNTs with conjugated polymers for thin-film transistor (TFT) applications have been well refined. Conventional wisdom dictates that removal of excess unbound polymer through filtration or centrifugation is necessary to produce high-performance TFTs. However, this is time-consuming, wasteful, and resource-intensive. In this report, we challenge this paradigm and demonstrate that excess unbound polymer during semiconductor film fabrication is not necessarily detrimental to device performance. Over 1200 TFT devices were fabricated from 30 unique polymer-sorted SWNT dispersions, prepared using two different alternating copolymers. Detailed Raman spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies of the random-network semiconductor films demonstrated that a simple solvent rinse during TFT fabrication was sufficient to remove unbound polymer from the sc-SWNT films, thus eliminating laborious polymer removal before TFT fabrication. Furthermore, below a threshold polymer concentration, the presence of excess polymer during fabrication did not significantly impede TFT performance. Preeminent performance was achieved for devices prepared from native polymer-sorted SWNT dispersions containing the "original" amount of excess unbound polymer (immediately following enrichment). Lastly, we developed an open-source Machine Learning algorithm to quantitatively analyze AFM images of SWNT films for surface coverage, number of tubes, and tube alignment.

Enantiomeric Separation of Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Acid Cleavable Chiral Polyfluorene

Helical wrapping by conjugated polymer has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for the sorting of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) according to their electronic type, chiral index, and even handedness. However, a method of one-step extraction of left-handed (M) and right-handed (P) semiconducting SWCNTs (s-SWCNTs) with subsequent cleavage of the polymer has not yet been published. In this work, we designed and synthesized one pair of acid cleavable polyfluorenes with defined chirality for handedness separation of s-SWCNTs from as-produced nanotubes. Each monomer contains a chiral center on the fluorene backbone in the 9-position, and the amino and carbonyl groups in the 2- and 7-positions maintain the head-to-tail regioselective polymerization resulting in polyimines with strictly all-(R) or all-(S) configuration. The obtained chiral polymers exhibit a strong recognition ability toward left- or right-handed s-SWCNTs from commercially available CoMoCAT SWCNTs with a sorting process requiring only bath sonication and centrifugation. Interestingly, the remaining polymer on each single nanotube, which helps to prevent aggregation, does not interfere with the circular dichroism signals from the nanotube at all. Therefore, we observed all four interband transition peaks (E₁₁, E₂₂, E₃₃, E₄₄) in the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the still wrapped optically enriched left-handed and right-handed (6,5) SWCNTs in toluene. Binding energies obtained from molecular dynamics simulations were consistent with our experimental results and showed a significant preference for one specific handedness from each chiral polymer. Moreover, the imine bonds along the polymer chains enable the release of the nanotubes upon acid treatment. After s-SWNT separation, the polymer can be decomposed into monomers and be cleanly removed under mild acidic conditions, yielding dispersant-free handedness sorted s-SWNTs. The monomers can be almost quantitatively recovered to resynthesize the chiral polymer. This approach enables high selective isolation of polymer-free s-SWNT enantiomers for their further applications in carbon nanotube (CNT) devices.

Engineering Supramolecular Polymer Conformation for Efficient Carbon Nanotube Sorting

Supramolecular polymer sorting is a promising approach to separating single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by electronic type. Unlike conjugated polymers, they can be easily removed from the CNTs after sorting by breaking the supramolecular bonds, allowing for isolation of electronically pristine CNTs as well as facile recycling of the sorting polymer. However, little is understood about how supramolecular polymer properties affect CNT sorting. Herein, chain stoppers are used to engineer the conformation of a supramolecular sorting polymer, thereby elucidating the relationship between sorting efficacy and polymer conformation. Through NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and thermodynamic modeling, it is shown that this supramolecular polymer exhibits ring-chain equilibrium, and that this equilibrium can be skewed toward chains by the addition of chain stoppers. Furthermore, by controlling the stopper-monomer ratio, the sorting yield can be doubled from 7% to 14% without compromising the semiconducting purity (>99%) or properties of sorted CNTs.

Role of constituents for the chirality isolation of single-walled carbon nanotubes by the reversible phase transition of a thermoresponsive polymer

The simple sorting procedure and continuous use of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), a well-known thermoresponsive polymer, have a high potential for the mass production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a specific electronic structure. However, knowledge of efficient single-chirality sorting methods with mixed surfactant systems is not applicable. In this work, we explored experimental conditions by controlling the interaction among PNIPAM, sodium cholate (SC) and SWCNTs. An optimization of the PNIPAM and SC concentrations as well as the addition of sodium borate achieved the selective release of (6,4) nanotubes into the liquid phase after the PNIPAM phase transition. The sorting mechanism with PNIPAM was explained by the difference in the micelle configuration on the SWCNTs and the hydrophobic collapse of PNIPAM in the presence of a sodium salt. The one-step sorting procedure for obtaining SWCNTs with a single chirality via PNIPAM will help promote their widespread application.

Optimized experimental conditions in the presence of sodium borate achieved the selective release of (6,4) nanotubes into the liquid phase.

Effect of nanotube coupling on exciton transport in polymer-free monochiral semiconducting carbon nanotube networks

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) are attractive light-harvesting components for solar photoconversion schemes and architectures, and selective polymer extraction has emerged as a powerful route to obtain highly pure s-SWCNT samples for electronic applications. Here we demonstrate a novel method for producing electronically coupled thin films of near-monochiral s-SWCNTs without wrapping polymer. Detailed steady-state and transient optical studies on such samples provide new insights into the role of the wrapping polymer on controlling intra-bundle nanotube-nanotube interactions and exciton energy transfer within and between bundles. Complete removal of polymer from the networks results in rapid exciton trapping within nanotube bundles, limiting long-range exciton transport. The results suggest that intertube electronic coupling and associated exciton delocalization across multiple tubes can limit diffusive exciton transport. The complex relationship observed here between exciton delocalization, trapping, and long-range transport, helps to inform the design, preparation, and implementation of carbon nanotube networks as active elements for optical and electronic applications.

Enrichment of highly pure large-diameter semiconducting SWCNTs by polyfluorene-containing pyrimidine ring

The use of copolymers to extract and purify semiconducting SWCNTs (sc-SWCNTs) and metallic SWCNTs (m-SWCNTs) is widely employed. In this paper, the performances of two pyrimidine-alt-dioctylfluorene conjugated polymers in the enrichment of semiconducting SWCNTs are compared, and the subtle structural effects on them are discussed. It was found that both pyrimidine-polymers were more effective in wrapping the semiconducting SWCNTs than the metallic SWCNTs under the co-action of the pyrimidine and fluorene rings. Moreover, methyl groups on the pyrimidine ring of the polymer slightly contributed to the semiconducting purity, and the minor differences of sc-SWCNTs extraction between two pyrimidine-polymers are compared. Additionally, the average diameter of the selected SWCNTs is larger than that of the raw SWCNTs. The experimental results show the excellent selectivity for sc-SWCNT from both co-polymers: the index Φ i values for determining the purity of sc-SWCNTs were increased from 0.408 for P2 to 0.465 for P1, of which the selected sc-SWCNT purity is up to 99.9%. The resulting purity and the inexpensive availability of pyrimidine co-polymers make them suitable to be considered for effective sc-SWCNT enrichment.

Self-Sorting of 10-µm-Long Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Aqueous Solution

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are a class of 1D nanomaterials that exhibit extraordinary electrical and optical properties. However, many of their fundamental studies and practical applications are stymied by sample polydispersity. SWCNTs are synthesized in bulk with broad structural (chirality) and geometrical (length and diameter) distributions; problematically, all known post-synthetic sorting methods rely on ultrasonication, which cuts SWCNTs into short segments (typically <1 µm). It is demonstrated that ultralong (>10 µm) SWCNTs can be efficiently separated from shorter ones through a solution-phase "self-sorting". It is shown that thin-film transistors fabricated from long semiconducting SWCNTs exhibit a carrier mobility as high as ≈90 cm2 V-1 s-1 , which is ≈10 times higher than those which use shorter counterparts and well exceeds other known materials such as organic semiconducting polymers (<1 cm2 V-1 s-1 ), amorphous silicon (≈1 cm2 V-1 s-1 ), and nanocrystalline silicon (≈50 cm2 V-1 s-1 ). Mechanistic studies suggest that this self-sorting is driven by the length-dependent solution phase behavior of rigid rods. This length sorting technique shows a path to attain long-sought ultralong, electronically pure carbon nanotube materials through scalable solution processing.

An interlocked flexible piezoresistive sensor with 3D micropyramidal structures for electronic skin applications

The development of flexible pressure sensors with human-like sensing capabilities is an emerging field due to their wide range of applications from human robot interactions to wearable electronics. Piezoresistive sensors respond to externally induced mechanical stimuli through changes in their electrical resistance. The current state-of-the-art piezoresistive sensors are mainly constructed via dispersion of conductive nanofillers in an elastomer matrix making their performance strongly reliable on the degree of dispersion. Alternatively, changes in the contact area of conductive elastomers result in higher sensitivity and more tunable variables. Herein, an interlocked sensor comprising two flexible layers of 3D pyramidal microstructures is fabricated with a thin layer of carbon nanotubes deposited onto the micropatterns. The introduced array of micropyramids with varying height and pitch sizes allows for higher changes in the contact area upon applying an external load. The results indicate that the height and pitch of the structures together with a newly defined variable, the critical dimension, affect the sensor's sensitivity. An optimal performance is observed for minimized values of the critical dimension. Furthermore, to verify the obtained results, a finite-element-assisted analytical constriction-resistance model is used to capture the piezoresistive response of the sensor. The theoretical results show the high tracking ability of their experimental counterparts.

High-Purity Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: A Key Enabling Material in Emerging Electronics

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) are emerging as a promising material for high-performance, high-density devices as well as low-cost, large-area macroelectronics produced via additive manufacturing methods such as roll-to-roll printing. Proof-of-concept demonstrations have indicated the potential of sc-SWCNTs for digital electronics, radiofrequency circuits, radiation hard memory, improved sensors, and flexible, stretchable, conformable electronics. Advances toward commercial applications bring numerous opportunities in SWCNT materials development and characterization as well as fabrication processes and printing technologies. Commercialization in electronics will require large quantities of sc-SWCNTs, and the challenge for materials science is the development of scalable synthesis, purification, and enrichment methods. While a few synthesis routes have shown promising results in making near-monochiral SWCNTs, gram quantities are available only for small-diameter sc-SWCNTs, which underperform in transistors. Most synthesis routes yield mixtures of SWCNTs, typically 30% metallic and 70% semiconducting, necessitating the extraction of sc-SWCNTs from their metallic counterparts in high purity using scalable postsynthetic methods. Numerous routes to obtain high-purity sc-SWCNTs from raw soot have been developed, including density-gradient ultracentrifugation, chromatography, aqueous two-phase extraction, and selective DNA or polymer wrapping. By these methods (termed sorting or enrichment), >99% sc-SWCNT content can be achieved. Currently, all of these approaches have drawbacks and limitations with respect to electronics applications, such as excessive dilution, expensive consumables, and high ionic impurity content. Excess amount of dispersant is a common challenge that hinders direct inclusion of sc-SWCNTs into electronic devices. At present, conjugated polymer extraction may represent the most practical route to sc-SWCNTs. By the use of polymers with a π-conjugated backbone, sc-SWCNTs with >99.9% purity can be dispersed in organic solvents via a simple sonication and centrifugation process. With 1000 times less excipient and the flexibility to accommodate a broad range of solvents via diverse polymer constructs, inks are readily deployable in solution-based fabrication processes such as aerosol spray, inkjet, and gravure. Further gains in sc-SWCNT purity, among other attributes, are possible with a better understanding of the structure-property relationships that govern conjugated polymer extraction. This Account covers three interlinked topics in SWCNT electronics: metrology, enrichment, and SWCNT transistors fabricated via solution processes. First, we describe how spectroscopic techniques such as optical absorption, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy are applied for sc-SWCNT purity assessment. Stringent requirements for sc-SWCNTs in electronics are pushing the techniques to new levels while serving as an important driver toward the development of quantitative metrology. Next, we highlight recent progress in understanding the sc-SWCNT enrichment process using conjugated polymers, with special consideration given to the effect of doping on the mechanism. Finally, developments in sc-SWCNT-based electronics are described, with emphasis on the performance of transistors utilizing random networks of sc-SWCNTs as the semiconducting channel material. Challenges and advances associated with using polymer-based dielectrics in the unique context of sc-SWCNT transistors are presented. Such transistor packages have enabled the realization of fully printed transistors as well as transparent and even stretchable transistors as a result of the unique and excellent electrical and mechanical properties of sc-SWCNTs.

Investigating Limiting Factors in Stretchable All-Carbon Transistors for Reliable Stretchable Electronics

Stretchable form factors enable electronic devices to conform to irregular 3D structures, including soft and moving entities. Intrinsically stretchable devices have potential advantages of high surface coverage of active devices, improved durability, and reduced processing costs. This work describes intrinsically stretchable transistors composed of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) electrodes and semiconductors and a dielectric that consists of a nonpolar elastomer. The use of a nonpolar elastomer dielectric enabled hysteresis-free device characteristics. Compared to devices on SiO₂ dielectrics, stretchable devices with nonpolar dielectrics showed lower mobility in ambient conditions because of the absence of doping from water. The effect of a SWNT band gap on device characteristics was investigated by using different SWNT sources as the semiconductor. Large-band-gap SWNTs exhibited trap-limited behavior caused by the low capacitance of the dielectric. In contrast, high-current devices based on SWNTs with smaller band gaps were more limited by contact resistance. Of the tested SWNT sources, SWNTs with a maximum diameter of 1.5 nm performed the best, with a mobility of 15.4 cm²/Vs and an on/off ratio >10³ for stretchable transistors. Large-band-gap devices showed increased sensitivity to strain because of a pronounced dependence on the dielectric thickness, whereas contact-limited devices showed substantially less strain dependence.