Carbon nanotubes (small hollow tubes with hexagonal carbon lattice) have excellent electrical, thermal and mechanical properties and are considered to be one of the most promising materials in the construction field. Selective functions are achieved by adding elements to carbon nanotubes to make transistors, compound additives, field emitters, and transparent conductive films.
Carbon nanotubes doped with boron can make the structure of nanotubes more functional, while increasing the ability to adjust electrical properties. The two single-walled carbon nanotubes (double-walled carbon nanotubes: DWNTs) doped with boron doped coaxially are expected to be used in electronic equipment, composite materials, energy storage and power generation materials.
Japan`s Shinshu University is the only university in Japan with a “fiber department”. Recently, a research team led by Murakatsu Mura of Shinshu University successfully doped the outer nanotubes of DWNTs with boron. In this study, Muramatsu and his team were able to selectively add boron to the outer tube of DWNT, which significantly improved the conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, thereby greatly improving the thermoelectric performance of DWNT.
Technological advances allow for increased functionality (such as high electrical conductivity, chemical activation, and improved thermoelectric performance) while maintaining internal CNT function. Muramatsu and his team successfully discovered the conditions for complex doping of the outermost layer of a single CNT without changing the DWNT coaxial structure. Only in this way can they really prove and confirm the characteristics of the synthetic DWNT.
Boron-doped DWNT is expected to be used in thermoelectric applications to collect waste heat for power generation and other advanced applications. Song believes that through basic research and understanding of the basic properties of the selective boron-doped DWNT of the outer tube, more applications can be found while enhancing the performance related to various applications. The ultimate goal is to strategically use the structure and physical characteristics of DWNT to add unique functions and characteristics, and to study new principles and methods in detail to establish a more selective high-concentration doping method and study its structure and function Impact.