Effect of Chemical Treatment on Electrical Conductivity, Infrared Absorption, and Raman Spectra of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

We investigate the magnitude and temperature dependence of electrical conductivity, the optical and infrared absorption, and the Raman spectra of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bucky-paper after chemical treatment and determine the correlations between the changes in these properties. Ionic-acceptor doping of the SWNT bucky-paper (with SOCl₂, iodine, H₂SO₃, etc.) causes an increase of electrical conductivity that correlates with an increase of the absorbance in the far-IR region and an increase in the frequency of Raman spectral lines. Conversely, treatment with other molecules (e.g., aniline, PyPhF₅, PhCH₂Br, etc.) leads to a decrease in both conductivity and far-IR absorption. The temperature dependence of the conductivity gives a good indication of the presence of metallic charge carriers and is in agreement with the model of interrupted metallic conduction.