Nano-mechanical cutting and opening of single wall carbon nanotubes

We pioneered a simple and soft mechanical cutting process for single wall c arbon nanotubes involving diamond particles as abrasive material, High reso lution transmission electron microscopy observation reveals shortened nanot ubes always organised in bundles. Micrograph analysis allows us to determin e the breaking mechanism of the bundles. The average nanotube lengths, esti mated using AFM images, are ranging from 300 to 700 nm. Adsorption measurem ents show a topological modification of the material with the presence of n ew microporosities ranging in the average nanotube diameter. (C) 2000 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.