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Chemically Induced Conductance Switching In Carbon Nanotube Circuits, Jaan Männik, Brett R. Goldsmith, Alexander Kane, Phillip G. Collins
Chemically Induced Conductance Switching In Carbon Nanotube Circuits, Jaan Männik, Brett R. Goldsmith, Alexander Kane, Phillip G. Collins
Jaan Männik
The chemical reactivity of carbon nanotubes in H2SO4 is investigated using individual, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) incorporated into electronic devices. Exploiting the device conductance as a sensitive indicator of chemical reactions, discrete oxidation and reduction events can be clearly observed. During oxidation, a SWNT opens circuits to a nanometer-scale tunnel junction with residual conduction similar to Frenkel-Poole charge emission. When electrochemically reduced, a SWNT returns to its original conductance. This redox cycle can be repeated many times, suggesting a novel chemical method of reversibly switching SWNT conductivity.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.016601