Removing impurities from sample of carbon nanotubes useful for working electrode of electrochemical cell, involves contacting sample with electronic liquid comprising metal and amine solvent

NOVELTY - Removing impurities from a sample of carbon nanotubes involves contacting the sample with an electronic liquid comprising a metal and an amine solvent. USE - For removing impurities from a sample of carbon nanotubes used in working electrode of electrochemical cell (claimed). ADVANTAGE - The method removes impurities from a sample of carbon nanotubes, using the electronic liquid; avoids the use of agents which damage the nanotubes such that the nanotubes which remain after removal of the impurities are non-damaged and non- functionalized, thus provides an ideal starting material for further manipulation, such as dispersion, separation and functionalization. A further advantage of the method is the cleanliness of the process, specifically only metal and amine solvent are added, and the solvents are highly volatile and easily removed, leaving the pure metal nanotubide salts. Many of the metals themselves are volatile and can be removed by sublimation, therefore the metal can thus be recovered for reuse, leaving clean nanotubes from which the impurities have been removed. The method is performed on a sample of pure, as-synthesized carbon nanotubes without the need to carry out any pre-conditioning steps. In the method, the sample of nanotubes is contacted with the electronic liquid and this step has the effect of charging the impurities to generate anions which are then preferentially dissolved in the amine solvent.