Chair:

Co-Chairs:

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Scope of Symposium

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are hollow cylindrical carbon molecules with unusual strength and unique electrical properties. The covalent bonding undergone in CNTs means they have very high tensile strengths. Nanotubes can also have outstanding electronic and thermal properties. In 1991, Iijima first observed multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) structure using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. In 1993, smaller diameter single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were separately discovered by Iijima’s group and Bethune’s group.

The applications of CNTs are diverse. In 2000, a SWNT was tested to have a tensile strength of 63GPa (in comparison, high-carbon steel has a tensile strength of approximately 1.2GPa). They also have very high elastic modulus, in the order of 1TPa. As a nanoscale reinforcement, CNTs can be used in space elevators, artificial muscles, ultrahigh-speed flywheels, and more.

Also, SWNTs are attractive for electronic applications. Depending on their chirality, SWNTs can be either metallic or semiconducting. Due to their nearly one-dimensional and defect-free electronic structure, electronic transport in SWNTs is ballistic, allowing them to carry high current with essentially no heating. The maximum electrical current density in SWNTs is about three orders of magnitude higher than in a typical metal (e.g. Cu). Also, the electron transport in semiconducting SWNTs manifests superior field-effect behavior. The carrier mobility in SWNTs can reach higher values than what are achievable with printable conducting polymers, monocrystalline-Si, a-Si or poly-Si typically used today. Using SWNTs as transistor building blocks, a new-generation of much-higher performance electronics is generally thought to be realizable.

Since 1991, there has been intense research on almost all aspects of CNTs and this symposium attempts to bring together researchers to present their updated results on all aspects of CNTs including but not restricted to:

  1. Synthesis and purification of CNTs:
  2. Functionalization of CNTs
    1. Novel properties of CNTs:
    2. Mechanical and physical properties
    3. Electronic, optoelectronics
    4. Photoconductivity
    5. Spin
  3. Applications of CNTs in:
    1. New emerging applications
    2. Electronic, optoelectronics
    3. Nanosensors
    4. Composites
    5. Tissue engineering and Biotechnological applications
    6. Energy and water
    7. Thin film electronics
  4. Fundamentals of CNTs
    1. Hybrid and membrane of CNTs
    2. Assembly, Alignment and Processing
    3. Thin film electronics
    4. Novel properties

Invited Speakers