Recent developments in carbon nanotube sorting and selective growth

Due to their high carrier mobilities, electromigration resistance, and tailorable optical properties, carbon nanotubes are promising candidates for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic applications. However, traditional synthetic methods have lacked control over the structure and properties of carbon nanotubes. This polydispersity problem has confounded efforts to take carbon nanotubes from the research laboratory to the marketplace, especially for electronic and optoelectronic applications, where reliable and reproducible performance is paramount. In recent years, the research community has devoted significant effort to this issue, leading to substantial advances in the preparation of monodisperse carbon nanotube materials. This article highlights the most recent and promising developments from two perspectives: post-synthetic sorting and selective growth of carbon nanotubes of predetermined physical and electronic structure. These complementary approaches have yielded improved uniformity in carbon nanotube materials, resulting in impressive advances in carbon nanotube electronic and optoelectronic technology.