Development of a home-made experimental set-up for in situ coupling under vacuum of conductivity measurements, x-ray absorption and Raman Spectroscopies on bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes intercalated with alkali metals

Abstract

Here, we report the development of a homemade experimental setup to perform under vacuum an in situ study of the physical properties of bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes intercalated with rubidium ions using electrical conductivity, X-ray absorption and Raman measurements. This set-up was successfully used at the SAMBA beamline at the Soleil synchrotron. The electrical resistance displays an important drop with the stoichiometry (intercalation time). The Raman radial breathing modes and the G-band of the nanotubes clearly indicate an important electron transfer. The G-band behaviour features a transition from semiconducting to metallic nanotubes, confirmed by the electrical resistance measurements as a function of the temperature after rubidium intercalation. This set-up can be used for the study of any type of extremely air sensitive materials.