Large work function difference driven electron transfer from electrides to single-walled carbon nanotubes

A difference in work function plays a key role in charge transfer between two materials. Inorganic electrides provide a unique opportunity for electron transfer since interstitial anionic electrons result in a very low work function of 2.4-2.6 eV. Here we investigated charge transfer between two different types of electrides, [Ca2N]+·e- and [Ca 24Al28O64]4+·4e-, and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with a work function of 4.73-5.05 eV. [Ca2N]+·e- with open 2-dimensional electron layers was more effective in donating electrons to SWNTs than closed cage structured [Ca24Al28O64] 4+·4e- due to the higher electron concentration (1.3 × 1022 cm-3) and mobility (∼200 cm 2 V-1 s-1 at RT). A non-covalent conjugation enhanced near-infrared fluorescence of SWNTs as high as 52%. The field emission current density of electride-SWNT-silver paste dramatically increased by a factor of 46000 (14.8 mA cm-2) at 2 V μm-1 (3.5 wt% [Ca2N]+·e-) with a turn-on voltage of 0.85 V μm-1. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.