For years, scientists around the world have struggled to find a reliable method for growing carbon nanotubes in a controlled manner, which has significantly limited the progress of carbon-based electronics and its real-world applications. However, on June 26th, a major breakthrough was announced by Peking University. Professor Li Yan and his team successfully developed a controllable preparation method for single-walled carbon nanotubes using a novel tungsten-based alloy catalyst they designed themselves. Their groundbreaking research was published in the prestigious journal Nature on that day.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are essentially hollow cylinders formed when graphene sheets are rolled in specific directions. Depending on how they are curled—known as "chirality"—they can behave as either metallic conductors or semiconductors with varying bandgaps. This unique property makes them highly valuable for electronic applications, but it also presents a significant challenge in their controlled synthesis.
Since Japanese scientist Sumio Iijima first observed carbon nanotubes under an electron microscope in 1991, global research into these materials has been ongoing. Despite over two decades of effort from researchers worldwide, achieving selective growth of single-chirality SWCNTs remained a major hurdle. Now, thanks to the work of Professor Li Yan’s team at Peking University, this long-standing challenge may finally be overcome.
The team developed a new class of tungsten-based alloy catalysts, which possess extremely high melting points and retain their crystalline structure even in the high-temperature environments required for carbon nanotube growth. Additionally, the catalysts have a unique internal structure that plays a key role in directing the formation of specific types of nanotubes. With these advanced materials, Chinese researchers were able to grow single-walled carbon nanotubes with precise structural control for the first time.
In 2009, the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors highlighted carbon nanotubes and graphene as promising candidates for next-generation electronics, predicting they could become commercially viable within the next 10 to 15 years. Materials remain the foundation of such advancements. With the new controlled growth methods developed by Peking University, carbon-based electronics are now one step closer to practical implementation, offering exciting possibilities for the future of technology.
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