Advanced carbon nanotube/polymer composite infrared sensors

We demonstrate that both single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) types and nanotube-matrix polymer-nanotube (CNT–P–CNT) junctions have profound impact on electro-optical properties of SWCNT/polymer composites. Composite IR sensors based on CoMoCAT®-produced SWCNTs (SWCNTsCoMoCAT) significantly outperform those based on HiPco®-produced SWCNTs (SWCNTsHiPco). Higher semiconducting nanotube concentration in a SWCNT material is critical to enhance the photo effect of IR light on SWCNT/polymer nanocomposites, whereas CNT–P–CNT junctions play a dominant role in the thermal effect of IR light on supported SWCNT/polymer composite films.