Experimental results.
The Raman spectrum of the SWCNTs is shown in Fig. 1. Radial breathing mode (RBM) peaks were observed in the range 100–300 cm−1, as shown in the inset of Fig. 1. There were several RBM peaks in the spectrum, indicating that they exhibited a chirality distribution and different diameters. We calculated the SWCNT diameter (d) using the RBM frequency (v, which is expressed as d (nm) = 223.75/v(cm-1)41. As a result, the SWCNT diameters ranged from 0.8 to 1.5 nm. In particular, distinct peaks appeared at 166.5, 180.3, and 269.6 cm–1, corresponding to diameters of 1.34, 1.24, and 0.83 nm, respectively. Conversely, the high-frequency region of the Raman spectrum of the SWCNTs revealed G- and D-bands at approximately 1590 and 1350 cm−1, respectively. In general, the G-band is a graphite-derived spectrum of carbon atoms in a hexagonal lattice, whereas the D-band appears when the defects of the carbon basal plane lattices are included in the crystal lattice of SWCNTs42. Thus, the ratio (IG/ID) between the integral intensities of the G- and D-bands reflects the defect density. The IG/ID ratio for the SWCNTs was 9.4, which was lower than that of SWCNTs synthesized using other methods43,44.
The relationship between the in-plane Seebeck coefficient of the SWCNT films with different surfactants and the heat treatment temperatures is shown in Fig. 2 (a)33. All the Seebeck coefficients were measured within 1 day of heat treatment. The Seebeck coefficients of the surfactant-free SWCNT films and SWCNT films with SDS exhibited positive (p-type) Seebeck coefficients at all heat treatment temperatures. Conversely, the SWCNT films with SDBS and SC exhibited negative (n-type) Seebeck coefficients when the heat treatment was performed in the range 150–350°C. The negatively highest Seebeck coefficient for both SWCNT films with SDBS and SC was approximately –50 µV/K. To investigate the stability of the n-type Seebeck coefficient of the SWCNT films, the retention period of the n-type Seebeck coefficient as a function of the heat-treatment temperature is shown in Fig. 2 (b). The n-type Seebeck coefficient of the SWCNT films with SDBS showed relatively high stability. The stability improved drastically when the heat treatment temperature was approximately 200°C. In particular, the maximum retention period was 35 days at a treatment temperature of 350°C. Conversely, the stability of the n-type Seebeck coefficient of SWCNT films with SC was lower than that of the SWCNT films with SDBS. The maximum retention period was 6 days at a treatment temperature of 250°C.
Figure 3 shows TEM images of the SWCNT films with different surfactants. In particular, as the stability of the n-type Seebeck coefficient of the SWCNT films depended on the heat treatment temperature, the typical TEM images of the SWCNT films for each surfactant at the temperature allowing for the longest retention period are presented; SDS at 150°C, SDBS at 350°C, and SC at 250°C. The insets of the figures show that dozens of SWCNTs were bundled. No matter which surfactant was used, the elements of the surfactant were attached around the SWCNTs, and, thus, no difference was observed between the different surfactants.
The color mapping of the atomic distribution in the SWCNT films with different surfactants is shown in Fig. 4. Color mapping and TEM observations were performed simultaneously using the same samples. In the SWCNT film with SDS (NaC12H25SO4), a signal from oxygen was clearly observed. The brightness of the signals originating from the sodium and sulfur atoms was lower than that of the signals originating from the oxygen ones, indicating that many oxygen atoms or molecules or water molecules were adsorbed on the SWCNT surface. In the SWCNT film with SDBS (C18H29NaO3S), the brightness of the signal from oxygen decreased, and that from sodium increased, compared to the SWCNT film with SDS, indicating that a relatively large amount of sodium atoms existed on the surface of the SWCNT film with SDBS compared to that of the SWCNT film with SDS. In the SWCNT film with SC (C24H39NaO), the signal from the oxygen was the strongest, followed by that from sodium. A negligible signal from sulfur was detected because the SC did not contain sulfur atoms. Therefore, we concluded that the SDBS surfactant had sufficiently covered the SWCNTs and prevented oxygen atoms or molecules and water molecules from adhering to the SWCNT surface.
Calculation analysis.
Figure 5 shows the electronic band structure and DOS of the pristine SWCNTs and the SWCNTs surrounding various atoms. The insets describe the molecule models showing the positional relationship between the SWCNTs and surrounding atoms. The diameter of the SWCNTs was set at 0.84 nm, as mentioned in the section of experimental setup, even though there were three distinct peaks observed in the Raman spectra, as shown in the inset of Fig. 1. This is because 0.84 nm is the smallest diameter among the three peaks, corresponding to the minimum atomic number in a unit cell, which contributes to making calculations as short as possible. As a result of several patterns of structural optimization, adjusting the initial positions of the added atoms or molecules, it was found that the stable position of the atoms or molecules was different for each type of atom or molecule. The oxygen atom was located just above the carbon bonds at a distance of 0.093 nm. The oxygen molecule was located away from the SWCNT surface compared to the oxygen atom, at a distance of 0.331 nm. The water molecule was located farther away from the SWCNT surface compared to the oxygen molecule, at a distance of 0.365 nm. The sulfur atom was located just above the carbon bonds at a distance of 0.166 nm, whereas the sodium atom was located directly above the center of the six-membered ring at a distance of 0.222 nm.
When no atoms were on the SWCNT (i.e., the pristine SWCNT), the Fermi level was exhibited approximately in the middle of the bandgap (Fig. 5(a)). The Fermi level did not shift to the side of the conduction band because the calculations in this study did not consider the defects in the SWCNTs. When the oxygen atom was on the SWCNT, the Fermi level did not shift from that observed for the pristine SWCNT (Fig. 5(b)). In the case of oxygen molecules, the Fermi level shifted considerably to the edge of the valence band, as electrons were transferred from the SWCNT to the oxygen molecules, indicating a positive (p-type) Seebeck coefficient (Fig. 5(c)). When the water molecule was on the SWCNT, the Fermi level was exhibited approximately in the middle of the bandgap (Fig. 5(d)), which was the same trend observed as when the sulfur atom was on the SWCNT (Fig. 5(e)). Conversely, when the sodium atom is located above the SWCNT, the Fermi level shifts upwards and overlaps with the conduction band, as electrons are transferred from the sodium atom to the SWCNT, indicating a negative (n-type) Seebeck coefficient (Fig. 5(f)). Therefore, we concluded that the oxygen molecules caused a positive Seebeck coefficient, and the sodium atoms caused a negative Seebeck coefficient.
Here, it should be noted that we could not perform the calculations using the SWCNT systems with diameters larger than 1.24 and 1.34 nm, corresponding to the experimental results shown in the inset of Fig. 1. This is because the number of atoms in a unit cell became large when the diameter of the SWCNTs increased36, resulting in the requirement of a computational capacity beyond the capacity of our system. However, although the magnitude of the Seebeck coefficient is known to depend on the diameter of the SWCNTs, we consider that the appearance of p-type or n-type SWCNTs with surfactants that possess larger diameters is the same when the diameter of the SWCNTs is small45. This is because the transfer of electrons between the oxygen molecules or sodium atoms and the SWCNTs does not depend on the diameter of the SWCNTs; that is, there is no significant change in the band structure and DOS of SWCNTs with larger diameters.