The synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes with narrow diameter distribution using polymerized hemoglobin

Abstract

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a narrow diameter distribution were synthesized by using polymerized hemoglobin (PolyHb). PolyHb containing 11 Hb molecules (11-PolyHb) was separated from a mixture of PolyHb with various degrees of polymerization by using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). After the deposition and oxidation of 11-PolyHb, we obtained iron oxide nanoparticles with an average diameter of 1.30 +/- 0.36 nm. SWCNT were grown from these nanoparticles with a narrow diameter distribution, 1.08 +/- 0.26 nm. This technique has the potential to synthesize SWCNT with an identical diameter, and to control the diameter of SWCNT at atomic resolution through improvements to the SEC processing. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.