Conversion of pristine and p-doped sulfuric-acid-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes to n-type materials by a facile hydrazine vapor exposure process

It was found in this study that a facile vapor-phase hydrazine (N ₂H ₄) treatment could effectively convert pristine and even p-doped sulfuric-acid-treated single-walled cabon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to n-type materials. The Raman spectroscopy results show that the facile vapor-phase hydrazine treatment could suppress the intensity of SWCNTs' radial breathing modes and alter SWCNTs' D-band vs. G-band intensity ratio. The sheet resistance measurement results show that the n-doping effect exerted by the vapor-phase hydrazine treatment could overwhelmingly counteract sulfuric acid's p-doping effect and subdue the SWCNTs' acquired p-type characteristics rendered by the sulfuric acid treatment. The ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results suggest that certain reactive nitrogen-containing radicals thermally decomposed from hydrazine, such as nitrene and amidogen, could covalently functionalize CNTs and then n-dope the functionalzed CNTs.