超长碳纳米管的结构调控与制备：进展与挑战

碳纳米管由于其优异的性能和广泛的应用,在过去近三十年中引起了研究者广泛的研究兴趣。在众多不同类型的碳纳米管中,超长碳纳米管由于具有厘米级甚至分米级以上的宏观长度和相对完美的结构,展示出了优异的力学、电学、热学等多方面的优异性能,在透明显示、微电子产业、超强纤维、航空航天等领域具有广阔的应用前景。超长碳纳米管的结构控制制备是充分开发其优异性能并实现其实际应用的关键。在过去二十多年间,超长碳纳米管的研究取得了重要的进展。但同时,在结构控制与批量制备方面也面临巨大的挑战,还存在许多尚未解决的科学与技术难题,从而限制了其实际应用。本文对超长碳纳米管的生长机理、结构控制、选择性制备以及优异性能方面的进展及其背后的创新思想进行了系统的回顾;与此同时,讨论了超长碳纳米管近年来的研究进展、目前面临的挑战和未来的重点攻关方向。期望本文能为超长碳纳米管的可控合成、批量制备以及未来应用提供更多的启发和借鉴,为早日实现高质量超长碳纳米管的宏量制备和产业化起到一些推动作用。

Structure Control and Synthesis of Ultralong Carbon Nanotubes: Progress and Challenges

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have drawn intensive research interest in the past near 30 years due to their excellent properties and wide applications. In a large number of different types of CNTs, ultralong CNTs usually have perfect structures and lengths up to centimeters, even decimeters, showing extraordinary mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Ultralong CNTs are promising candidates for transparent displays, nanoelectronics, superstrong tethers, aeronautics and aerospace, etc. The controlled synthesis of ultralong CNTs with perfect structures is the key to fully exploit the extraordinary properties of CNTs. Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the study of ultralong CNTs, but there are also great challenges in controlled synthesis and mass production of ultralong CNTs, which limits their application. In this review, we summarized the progress on the growth mechanism, structure control, selective synthesis and extraordinary properties of ultralong CNTs and the innovative ideas in them. Meanwhile, we discussed the current challenges and future priorities. We hope that this review will shed light on the controlled synthesis, mass production and future application of ultralong CNTs and play a role in promoting the mass production and industrialization of ultralong CNTs with perfect structures.