Double resonance Raman study of disorder in CVD-grown single-walled carbon nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with varying degrees of disorder were investigated using multiple-excitation Raman spectroscopy. The lattice disorder was imparted into the nanotubes by the addition of varying amounts of sulfur to the iron catalyst in a thermal chemical vapor deposition process. Changes in the intensities of peaks occurring due to a double resonance Raman process were studied. The intensity of the disorder-induced D band increased with a decrease in the sulfur content. Upon post-synthesis heat treatment, the double resonance process got quenched due to defect healing. The second order G' band and iTOLA bands exhibited a two-peak structure, of which one of the peaks is relatively more sensitive to defects and decreased in intensity with heat treatment. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.