Electrochemical tuning of electronic structure of single-walled carbon nanotubes: In-situ Raman and vis-NIR study

The population of valence-band electronic states of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was tuned electrochemically in acetonitrile electrolyte solution. In dry and oxygen-free solution, the electrochemistry of SWCNTs is controlled by capacitive charging. Reversible changes of intensity and frequency of the Raman spectra can be monitored during cyclic voltammetry at low scan rates. Electrochemical charging of SWCNTs can be also traced via reversible bleaching of the electronic transitions in the vis-NIR region. An aprotic medium offers a broader electrochemical window for tuning of electronic properties of SWCNTs. Electrochemical charging of SWCNTs in an aprotic electrolyte solution allows easy and precise control of the electronic structure of SWCNTs. In addition to commercial SWCNTs, a material made from gas-phase catalytic decomposition of CO by the HiPco process was also studied. Selective quenching of vis-NIR and Raman spectra is a useful tool to the analysis of tubes of varying diameter and helicity.