US Patent 8012278 - End-to-end joining of nanotubes

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8012278.html

This patent is based on research from the University of Pittsburgh and teaches a method to interconnect longer chains of nanotubes. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method for joining nanotubes end-to-end, comprising:

contacting the nanotubes with a treating fluid, the treating fluid being retained by the ends of the nanotubes; removing bulk treating fluid; and

contacting the nanotubes with a joining fluid which is immiscible in the treating fluid, the joining fluid having at least one physiochemical property that is different from at least one physiochemical property of a treating fluid retained within the ends of the nanotubes to effect end-to-end joining of the nanotubes.