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Anion Exchange Resins for Chirality-based Separation of Single-wall Carbon Nanotubes

Award Information
Agency: Department of Commerce
Branch: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Contract: SB1341-11-SE-0874
Agency Tracking Number: 111-63-2011
Amount: $89,999.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 9.06.06.63-R
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2011
Award Year: 2011
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2011-08-01
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2012-02-28
Small Business Information
5-100 Innovation Way
Newark, DE 19711-5459
United States
DUNS: 153307470
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Ke Yang
 (302) 366-1101
 xhuang@sepax-tech.com
Business Contact
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Single chirality of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is critical for their superb mechanical, thermal, optical and electronic properties. All known methods for producing nanotubes give mixtures of tubes with different chiralities. Physical separation of SWCNT by chirality is thus an enabling step for many potential applications and fundamental studies. The existing anion exchange resins are only partially effective for SWCNT chirality separations, with low recovery (30%) and short column life time (20 injections). Sepax Technologies, Inc. proposes to develop a new anion-exchange resin to drastically improve chirality resolution of SWCNTs. Sepax will apply its proven surface technology to in-house made uniform non-porous polystyrene/divinyl benzene beads to obtain resins with well-controlled density and distribution of charged functional groups and hydrophobic/hydrophilic characteristics, then pack into columns to achieve two technical objectives: 1) separation recovery of SWCNT samples higher than 85%; 2) resolving in a single pass (9,1) and (6,5) chirality tubes from commercial SWCNT starting materials with narrow diameter distribution.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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