(323d) From Carbon Nanotube Liquid Crystalline Solutions to Functional Fibers

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a remarkable combination of electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. In order to realize these properties in applications, we need to understand and control the behavior of fluid phases of these nanomaterials. Fluid phase assembly is among the most industrially attractive routes for scalable CNT processing into macromaterials such as multifunctional fibers. Chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) is known as an ideal solvent for CNTs, which spontaneously dissolves them without compromising properties. High concentration solution of CNTs in CSA forms a nematic liquid crystalline phase characterized by a long-range orientational order. The natural orientational alignment of CNTs within the nematic phase would highly benefit the alignment of CNTs in fluid phase-processed macroscopic fibers, improving the electrical and mechanical properties in the alignment direction. Wet-spun CNT fibers combine the specific strength, stiffness, and thermal conductivity of carbon fibers with the specific electrical conductivity of metals. Given these properties, CNT fibers can serve as an attractive structural support on to which functional materials can be deposited to develop active optoelectronics. Using light-emission as an example, in this talk we will discuss our approach to transform carbon nanotube fibers to active devices.