Emergent Properties of Macroscale Assemblies of Carbon Nanotubes

Individually, carbon nanotubes are known to have outstanding electrical and optical properties. Assemblies of carbon nantoubes, however, typically underperform relative to their individual properties. Recently, advances in solution-based assembly methods show that assemblies can not only approach their predicted properties, but also demonstrate emergent properties not evidenced in individual carbon nanotubes. This article will highlight several of these methods and how the emergent properties of the resultant assemblies advance the state-of-the art for carbon nanotube electronics and optics.