Irene Agnes Marek

US Patent:

8562935, Oct 22, 2013

Filed:

Oct 14, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/575352

Inventors:

Robert H. Hauge - Houston TX, US
Andrew R. Barron - Houston TX, US
James M. Tour - Bellaire TX, US
Howard K. Schmidt - Cypress TX, US
W. Edward Billups - Houston TX, US
Christopher A. Dyke - Humble TX, US
Valerie C. Moore - Houston TX, US
Elizabeth Whitsitt - Houston TX, US
Robin E. Anderson - Toronto, CA
Ramon Colorado, Jr. - Houston TX, US
Michael P. Stewart - Mountain View CA, US
Douglas C. Ogrin - Houston TX, US
Irene M. Marek - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

D01F 9/127

US Classification:

4234473, 4234471, 977742, 977743, 977843, 977845, 977848

Abstract:

The present invention is directed towards methods (processes) of providing large quantities of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) of defined diameter and chirality (i. e. , precise populations). In such processes, CNT seeds of a pre-selected diameter and chirality are grown to many (e. g. , hundreds) times their original length. This is optionally followed by cycling some of the newly grown material back as seed material for regrowth. Thus, the present invention provides for the large-scale production of precise populations of CNTs, the precise composition of such populations capable of being optimized for a particular application (e. g. , hydrogen storage). The present invention is also directed to complexes of CNTs and transition metal catalyst precurors, such complexes typically being formed en route to forming CNT seeds.

US Patent:

20060159612, Jul 20, 2006

Filed:

Nov 22, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/285232

Inventors:

Kirk Ziegler - Gainesville FL, US
Jonah Shaver - Houston TX, US
Robert Hauge - Houston TX, US
Richard Smalley - Houston TX, US
Irene Marek - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

C01B 31/02
D01F 9/127

US Classification:

42344500B

Abstract:

The present invention is generally directed to methods of ozonating CNTs in fluorinated solvents (fluoro-solvents), wherein such methods provide a less dangerous alternative to existing ozonolysis methods. In some embodiments, such methods comprise the steps of: (a) dispersing carbon nanotubes in a fluoro-solvent to form a dispersion; and (b) reacting ozone with the carbon nanotubes in the dispersion to functionalize the sidewalls of the carbon nanotubes and yield functionalized carbon nanotubes with oxygen-containing functional moieties. In some such embodiments, the fluoro-solvent is a fluorocarbon solvent, such as a perfluorinated polyether.

US Patent:

20060201880, Sep 14, 2006

Filed:

Nov 29, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/289000

Inventors:

Kirk Ziegler - Gainesville FL, US
Daniel Schmidt - Troy MI, US
Robert Hauge - Houston TX, US
Richard Smalley - Houston TX, US
Irene Marek - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

B01D 15/00

US Classification:

210638000, 210639000, 210738000, 210774000, 423460000, 423461000

Abstract:

The present invention is generally directed to new liquid-liquid extraction methods for the length-based separation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other 1-dimensional nanostructures. In some embodiments, such methods are directed to separating SWNTs on the basis of their length, wherein such methods comprise the steps of: (a) functionalizing SWNTs to form functionalized SWNTs with ionizable functional moieties; (b) dissolving said functionalized SWNTs in a polar solvent to form a polar phase; (c) dissolving a substoichiometric (relative to the amount of ionizable functional moieties present on the SWNTs) amount of a phase transfer agent in a non-polar solvent to form a non-polar phase; (d) combining the polar and non-polar phases to form a bi-phase mixture; (e) adding a cationic donor species to the bi-phase mixture; and (f) agitating the bi-phase mixture to effect the preferential transport of short SWNTs into the non-polar phase such that the non-polar phase is enriched in short SWNTs and the polar phase is enriched in longer SWNTs. In other embodiments, analogous methods are used for the length-based separation of any type of CNT, and more generally, for any type of 1-dimensional nanostructure.

US Patent:

20070009421, Jan 11, 2007

Filed:

Dec 1, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/291449

Inventors:

W. Kittrell - Houston TX, US
Yuhuang Wang - Houston TX, US
Myung Kim - Houston TX, US
Robert Hauge - Houston TX, US
Richard Smalley - Houston TX, US
Irene Marek - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

D01F 9/12

US Classification:

423447300, 977843000

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to fibers of epitaxially grown single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and methods of making same. Such methods generally comprise the steps of: (a) providing a spun SWNT fiber; (b) cutting the fiber substantially perpendicular to the fiber axis to yield a cut fiber; (c) etching the cut fiber at its end with a plasma to yield an etched cut fiber; (d) depositing metal catalyst on the etched cut fiber end to form a continuous SWNT fiber precursor; and (e) introducing feedstock gases under SWNT growth conditions to grow the continuous SWNT fiber precursor into a continuous SWNT fiber.

US Patent:

20070065975, Mar 22, 2007

Filed:

Dec 28, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/319707

Inventors:

Richard Smalley - Houston TX, US
Irene Marek - Houston TX, US
Yuhuang Wang - Evanston IL, US
Robert Hauge - Houston TX, US
Hongwei Shan - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

H01L 51/40

US Classification:

438099000, 977742000

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to methods of purifying carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In general, such methods comprise the following steps: (a) preparing an aqueous slurry of impure CNT material; (b) establishing a source of Fe ions in the slurry to provide a catalytic slurry; (c) adding hydrogen peroxide to the catalytic slurry to provide an oxidative slurry, wherein the Fe ions catalyze the production of hydroxyl radicals; and (d) utilizing the hydroxyl radicals in the oxidative slurry to purify the CNT material and provide purified CNTs.

US Patent:

20100008843, Jan 14, 2010

Filed:

Nov 30, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/291638

Inventors:

Robert H. Hauge - Houston TX, US
Haiqing Peng - Houston TX, US
Richard E. Smalley - Houston TX, US
Irene Morin Marek - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

D01F 9/12
B82B 3/00

US Classification:

4234471, 977842

Abstract:

The present invention relates to processes for the purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Known methods of single-wall carbon nanotube production result in a single-wall carbon nanotube product that contains single-wall carbon nanotubes in addition to impurities including residual metal catalyst particles and amounts of small amorphous carbon sheets that surround the catalyst particles and appear on the side of the single-wall carbon nanotubes. The present purification processes remove the extraneous carbon as well as metal-containing residual catalyst particles.

US Patent:

20100284898, Nov 11, 2010

Filed:

May 7, 2007

Appl. No.:

12/299634

Inventors:

Kirk J. Ziegler - Gainesville FL, US
Urs Rauwald - Houston TX, US
Robert H. Hauge - Houston TX, US
Howard K. Schmidt - Cypress TX, US
Irene Morin Marek - Houston TX, US
Zhenning Gu - Houston TX, US
W. Carter Kittrell - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

D01F 9/12

US Classification:

4234476, 977742, 977847

Abstract:

According to some embodiments, the present invention provides a method for attaining short carbon nanotubes utilizing electron beam irradiation, for example, of a carbon nanotube sample. The sample may be pretreated, for example by oxonation. The pretreatment may introduce defects to the sidewalls of the nanotubes. The method is shown to produces nanotubes with a distribution of lengths, with the majority of lengths shorter than 100 tun. Further, the median length of the nanotubes is between about 20 nm and about 100 nm.