Carbon nanotube chirality enrichment through chirality‐selective precipitation

Abstract

The interaction with surfactants changes from one carbon nanotube species to the other. We used this to replace non-ionic surfactants by ionic ones. By fine-tuning the replacement conditions, we covered some specific nanotubes with non-ionic surfactants and the others with ionic ones. Addition of salt triggers precipitation of the species suspended by the ionic surfactant; this effectively leads to chiral selective enrichment of a carbon nanotube suspension. We hence produce an (8,4)enriched suspension by replacing a polyglycerol-based custom amphiphile with the commercial SDBS and salting with NaCl.Relative sample composition, before and after the salting-out procedure.

Advanced carbon nanotubes functionalization

“…[78]. Variation of the structure of the surfactant can induce selectivity in the interaction with the solubilized tubes [79]- [88]. Selective solubilization of the SWNTs is possible through the choice of specific DNA fragments [89], polymers [90], and copolymers [91].…”

“…A useful comparative study on the SWNTs' isolating performances of different surfactants can be found in [76]. Variation of the structure of the surfactant can induce selectivity in its interaction with solubilized tubes [77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86]. Selective solubilization of the SWNTs is possible through the choice of specific DNA fragments [87], polymers [88], and copolymers [89].…”