A method for bulk separation of single-walled tubular fullerenes based on chirality is provided wherein a first step is the formation of a template on a crystalline substrate. The template has a plurality of openings which are oriented to energetically favor adsorption of a respective plurality of single-walled fullerenes having a tubular contour and a selected chirality. Next, the template is exposed to a suspension of single-walled tubular fullerenes of random chiralities for adsorption of single-walled tubular fullerenes of the selected chirality into the openings of template. Then, the template is removed from exposure to the suspension and the adsorbed single-walled tubular fullerenes of the selected chirality are removed from the template. The template may then be reused to adsorb further tubular fullerenes of the selected chirality from a suspension of tubular fullerenes of random chiralities.
Patent Number: 6,669,918
Date Issued: December 30 2003