Raman spectrometer enabling SWCNT membrane synthesis for water purification applications

Proposed is the acquisition of a Raman spectrometer for the determination of optimal single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) templated growth conditions. SWCNTs will be grown inside ordered zeolite materials that will result precise SWCNT diameters due to the sub-angstrom precision of zeolite crystalline pore structure. A variety of catalyst salts and organic feed solutions (of various aromatic structures and volatility) will be preloaded into the zeolite and subsequently pyrolized. Raman spectroscopy is the standard method to rapidly identify the SWCNT phase of carbon enabling the optimization of the CNT growth process. Once SWCNT growth conditions are optimized, the SWCNTs will be incorporated into a recently demonstrated membrane fabrication process replacing impure commercial sources of SWCNTs. The small diameter of CNTs will allow only single columns of water to pass through, excluding salt ions, at extremely fast rates. This would result in a dramatic improvement in water purification technology critical for many DoD operations.