Tuning Tailored Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Highly Energetic Heavy Ions

Carbon-based nanomaterials have attracted a lot of interest lately due to their highly promising applications. Here we report on the modifications of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) induced by swift (highly energetic) heavy ions. Using scanning force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, we observe a dramatic change in the structure of the irradiated SWCNTs, accompanied by an increase of the adhesion force as a function of ion fluence and electronic energy loss. With increasing ion fluence, the SWCNTs exhibit a partial transformation from metallic to more semiconducting. Moreover, at high fluence they break into segments 10-20 nm long.