Index assignment of a carbon nanotube rope using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can identify and assign individual nanotubes within a rope, revealing their metallic or semiconducting nature and providing tentative chiral index assignments.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel application of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for detailed analysis of nanotube ropes, enabling identification and assignment of multiple nanotubes.

Findings

Multiple nanotubes within a rope can be identified using near-field enhancement.

Metallic and semiconducting nanotubes can be distinguished and assigned.

Tentative chiral index assignments are provided for nanotubes.

Abstract

We used tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to study the diameter-dependent Raman modes in a contacted carbon nanotube rope. We show that with the near-field tip enhancement a large number of nanotubes within a rope can be identified, even if the nanotube modes can not be distinguished in the far-field signal. Several metallic and semiconducting nanotubes can be identified and assigned to nanotube families. Additionally, we provide a tentative chiral index assignment.