“Our work demonstrates for the first time that separation can be done via ac-dielectrophoresis.”

For many years researchers were seeking for a method to separate metallic from semiconducting carbon nanotubes, since both tube types can only be produced as a mixture. Our work demonstrates for the first time that separation can be done via ac-dielectrophoresis.

Our work is an important contribution towards applying carbon nanotubes in nanoelectronics. By the time metallic tubes are applied as nanoscale leads, or semiconducting tubes as transistors or sensors—our separation method might become a key technology.

Carbon nanotubes are anticipated to be important building blocks in future nanoelectronics applications due to their outstanding electronic and structural properties. Our method used to separate metallic from semiconducting tubes solves a long standing problem of how to produce fractions of tubes containing only metallic or only semiconducting tubes. In particular for sensor applications our separation method might find its way into the marketplace sometime soon.

I started working in the field of carbon nanotubes in the year 2000. A close collaboration with my colleague Dr. Frank Hennrich enabled us to develop the separation method as part of an interdisciplinary approach.