United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Ohio Aerospace Institute

Nanotech Innovations Corporation

Jerry D Harris

Aloysius F Hepp

Stephanie Castro

Kulbinder Kumar Banger

Michael Hyun-Chul Jin

The present invention relates to a simple method for the synthesis of fullerenes using a mixture of liquid metallorganic precursors and liquid organic hydrocarbon solvents wherein the mixture is injected in the form of droplets into a multiple heated zone reactor tube in which the droplets are thermally decomposed and fullerenes are formed. The process is useful for the formation of all types of fullerenes, and in particular yields multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with low defect density and controllable wt % of metal impurity atoms. In particular, a method is disclosed that produces as-grown MWNTs with less than 5 wt % metal impurity atoms. Large classes of metallorganic precursors suitable for use in the process are also identified.

Process and apparatus utilizing mixed ligand organometallic catalysts for in situ growth of high purity, low defect density carbon nanotubes

A single source precursor for depositing ternary I-III-VIchalcopyrite materials useful as semiconductors. The single source precursor has the I-III-VIstoichiometry 'built into' a single precursor molecular structure which degrades on heating or pyrolysis to yield the desired I-III-VIternary chalcopyrite. The single source precursors effectively degrade to yield the ternary chalcopyrite at low temperature, e.g. below 500&#xb0; C., and are useful to deposit thin film ternary chalcopyrite layers via a spray CVD technique. The ternary single source precursors according to the invention can be used to provide nanocrystallite structures useful as quantum dots. A method of making the ternary single source precursors is also provided.

Single-source precursors for ternary chalcopyrite materials, and methods of making and using the same

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Nampa, ID, United States of America

Jerry D Harris