Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
We have functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using ruthenium centered organometallic supramolecular dendritic complexes. These dendrimers have multiple binding sites with chemically specified chirality. Most importantly, they are mechanically rigid. We have fabricated field effect transistors (FET) using these functionalized SWNTs. Devices were processed with standard optical lithography and high resolution e-beam lithography. We are using FET response of these devices to study charge injection into the nanotubes and the resultant effect on the tube's transport properties. Organometallic based molecular adsorbents onto the nanotubes effect the transistor response. These functionalized tubes change their majority carriers from holes to electrons in these FETs. We believe this is due to charge transfer from the metal center through the ligand and finally onto the nanotube. This results in the potential for optically altering the carrier density, and therefore the transport properties of the nanotubes.