Disclosed herein is a surface treating method using a Taylor reactor wherein a washing, neutralization, heavy metal removal, etc. can be efficiently carried out, while saving a surface treating time and a treatment liquid and enhancing a treatment efficiency by using a Taylor eddy current which in general is formed at a Taylor reactor. The surface treatment method using a Taylor reactor formed of a cylindrical reaction chamber and a cylindrical rotation body which is configured to rotate in the reaction chamber may include (1) a supply step wherein a surface treatment thing and a surface treatment liquid are supplied into the reaction chamber; and (2) a treatment step wherein the surface treatment thing is stayed in the reaction chamber while rotating the cylindrical rotation body, and the stay time of the surface treatment thing is in a range of 1 minute to 6 hours.

Provided herein is a nanopore structure, which in one aspect is a “carbon nanotube porin”, that comprises a short nanotube with an associated lipid coating. Also disclosed are compositions and methods enabling the preparation of such nanotube/lipid complexes. Further disclosed is a method for therapeutics delivery that involves a drug delivery agent comprising a liposome with a NT loaded with a therapeutic agent, introducing the therapeutic agent into a cell or a tissue or an organism; and subsequent release of the therapeutic agents into a cell.

Disclosed is an apparatus for manufacturing a carbon nanotube fiber.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a method of preparing a colloidal solution comprising preparing a salted aqueous solvent and dispersing a graphitic material in the salted aqueous solvent. Embodiments of the present disclosure further describe a method of treating a graphitic material comprising agitating a graphitic material in a salted aqueous solvent and removing residual chemical species to obtain a treated graphitic material. Embodiments of the present disclosure also describe a colloidal solution comprising a liquid medium and a treated graphitic material dispersed in the liquid medium sufficient to form a colloidal solution.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a method of preparing a colloidal solution comprising preparing a salted aqueous solvent and dispersing a graphitic material in the salted aqueous solvent. Embodiments of the present disclosure further describe a method of treating a graphitic material comprising agitating a graphitic material in a salted aqueous solvent and removing residual chemical species to obtain a treated graphitic material. Embodiments of the present disclosure also describe a colloidal solution comprising a liquid medium and a treated graphitic material dispersed in the liquid medium sufficient to form a colloidal solution.

Chemical modification of the surface of elemental carbon comprises a first stage of attaching a compound with an azo group to the elemental carbon and then a second stage of decomposing the azo group in the presence of one or more compounds with an olefinic group so that decomposition of the azo group forms radicals attached to the carbon surface and a said radical forms a covalent bond to a said olefinic group. The second stage may proceed as a polymerization of a vinyl monomer with a redox active group such as ferrocene, anthracene or anthraquinone. The resulting polymer-modified carbon may be used in an electrochemical sensor.

The present invention provides methods for purifying a layer of carbon nanotubes comprising providing a precursor layer of substantially aligned carbon nanotubes supported by a substrate, wherein the precursor layer comprises a mixture of first carbon nanotubes and second carbon nanotubes; selectively heating the first carbon nanotubes; and separating the first carbon nanotubes from the second carbon nanotubes, thereby generating a purified layer of carbon nanotubes. Devices benefiting from enhanced electrical properties enabled by the purified layer of carbon nanotubes are also described.

Forming multifunctional materials and composites thereof includes contacting a first material having a plurality of oxygen-containing functional groups with a chalcogenide compound, and initiating a chemical reaction between the first material and the chalcogenide compound, thereby replacing oxygen in some of the oxygen-containing functional groups with chalcogen from the chalcogen-containing compound to yield a second material having chalcogen-containing functional groups and oxygen-containing functional groups. The first material is a carbonaceous material or a macromolecular material. A product including the second material is collected and may be processed further to yield a modified product or a composite.

Detectors and methods of forming the same include aligning a semiconducting carbon nanotubes on a substrate in parallel to form a nanotube layer. The aligned semiconducting carbon nanotubes in the nanotube layer are cut to a uniform length corresponding to a detection frequency. Metal contacts are formed at opposite ends of the nanotube layer.

A method for carbon nanotube purification, preferably including: providing carbon nanotubes; depositing a mask; and/or selectively removing a portion of the mask; and optionally including removing a subset of the carbon nanotubes and/or removing the remaining mask.