Single-walled carbon nanotubes: synthesis and modification of the electronic structure

Despite the fact that methods of the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are well-established, they allow obtaining only mixtures of SWCNTs with different electronic properties. The development of approaches of controlling the electronic structure of SWCNTs opens a way to prepare nanotube samples with uniform properties that are required for applications. This chapter reviews the methods of the synthesis of SWCNTs and the modification of their electronic structure. The arc-discharge, laser ablation and chemical vapor deposition methods for the synthesis of nanotubes are presented. The modification of the electronic properties of SWCNTs as a result of the intercalation of the bundles, the chemical modification of the outer surface, the substitution of carbon atoms of walls and the filling of internal channels are discussed. The advantages of the filling of SWCNTs for tailoring their electronic properties are highlighted. The reported results on the investigation of the electronic properties of filled SWCNTs by spectroscopic techniques are summarized.