Ionic gelators: oligomeric and polymeric electrolytes as novel gel forming materials

In this article, novel gel‐forming materials based on oligomeric and polymeric electrolytes for not only water but also organic solvents, including ionic liquids, are highlighted especially the synthesis, derivatization, and physical property. The oligoelectrolytes with cationic pyridinium backbone can be very easily prepared by the intermolecular quaternization of the ampholytic monomer. The ionene polymers with N,N′‐(p‐phenylene)dibenzamide linkages as polyelectrolyte were also straightforwardly synthesized in high yields by the copolymerization of 1,4‐bis[4‐(chloromethyl)benzamide]benzene and commercially available α,ω‐ditertiary amines. The oligo‐ and polyelectrolytes provided physical hydrogels under ca. 1–5 wt% of the concentrations after heating and cooling at room temperature without any other additives. These cationic gelators have characteristic properties, such as acid resistance, a self‐healing nature after mechanical collapse, and a dispersant ability for single‐walled carbon nanotubes, which have been rarely attainable for conventional physical gelators. © 2010 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 10: 230–242; 2010: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.201000007     

碳纳米管的快速糖基化及用于糖-凝集素特异性识别作用的研究

将含糖基的简单两亲分子N-十八烷基麦芽糖酰胺(N-n-Octadecyl-D-maltonamide, NOMA)非共价修饰到单壁碳纳米管(SWNT)表面形成糖-碳纳米管复合体(NOMA-SWNT), 谱学和形态学结果表明, NOMA不仅能快速、高效地吸附到SWNT表面, 而且能有效地改善SWNT在水溶液中的分散性能. 以NOMA-SWNT管束为导通沟道构建了碳纳米管场效应管(CNTFET)器件, 检测了麦芽糖和伴刀豆凝集素蛋白(Con A)的特异性识别作用. 检测器件在每个修饰阶段的电学性能的变化证明了NOMA对SWNT的非共价糖基化修饰及用CNTFET来检测糖-凝集素特异性识别作用的可能性.     

Off-axis Thermal Properties of Carbon Nanotube Films

Theoretical calculations have predicted that individual Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) have extremely high thermal conductivity (around 6.6 × 10⁴ W/m-K). The feasibility of constructing practical devices using the above mentioned properties, is critically dependent on the ability to synthesize high-thermal-conducting films. Highly conducting films would be of great use as heat sinks for the next generation of integrated chips. Excessive heating is currently a very serious problem in the endeavor for achieving faster and smaller chips. Since it is still not possible to perfectly align SWNT in the macroscopic scale, the thermal properties of the nano-films are therefore expected to have a statistical effect and thus lower than the intrinsic thermal conductivity of a single nanotube. Also the thermal conductivity perpendicular to the tube direction is more significant from a practical point of view. Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWNT) were synthesized by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique and subsequently characterized. The thin MWNT films were deposited by a solution casting technique over a metallic substrate. The off-axis thermal properties of these nano-films were studied by AC-calorimetry studies. In this method, the sample is heated by an AC source and the measurement of the relaxation rate is used to determine the thermal properties. This technique is well established for studying the thermal properties of complex fluids. Our results are contrasted with other thermal conductivity measurements intrinsic and bulk carbon nanotube samples. We have also measured off-axis thermal properties of nano-films synthesized from more crystalline SWNT samples and have compared this result with that of the MWNT-film. A model to explain the thermal conduction for our system is proposed. George Muench: Presently at the Department of Physics, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT-06516, USA     

Control of SWNT Dispersion by Block Copolymers with a Side‐Chain Polarity Modifier

The dispersion of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in a non‐polar solvent is controlled with a series of polystyrene‐block‐polybutadiene‐block‐polystyrene (PSBS) block copolymers that contain cholesteryl chloroformate (CC) in side‐chains. Esterification of CC with the partially hydroxylated polybutadiene (PB) blocks allows one to tune the polarity of the block copolymers, which decreases with the amount of CC attached. An excellent dispersion of weak polar SWNTs is observed with PSBS that contains a partially hydroxylated PB block. The dispersion is then significantly deteriorated when the amount of non‐polar CC moieties increases in the block copolymers. A good dispersion is achieved with a polymer that gives rise to strong SWNT–polymer interactions, which ensures contact of the polymer molecules with the nanotube surface, rather than a good solubility of the polymer dispersant in solvent. The stability of the SWNTs in solution arises from unique needle‐like nanowires of the block copolymer aligned perpendicular to the nanotube axis.

     

Coagulation method for preparing single-walled carbon nanotube/poly(methyl methacrylate) composites and their modulus,electrical conductivity,and thermal stability

A coagulation method providing a better dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in a polymer matrix was used to produce SWNT/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed an improved dispersion of SWNTs in the PMMA matrix, a key factor in composite performance. Aligned and unaligned composites were made with purified SWNTs with different SWNT loadings (0.1–7 wt %). Comprehensive testing showed improved elastic modulus, electrical conductivity, and thermal stability with the addition of SWNTs. The electrical conductivity of a 2 wt % SWNT composite decreased significantly (>10⁵) when the SWNTs were aligned, and this result was examined in terms of percolation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3333–3338, 2003     

Electric field aligned growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Electric field aligned, single-walled carbon nanotubes are grown between electrodes using thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of methane. The growth occurs on a thin film layered catalyst of aluminium, iron and molybdenum patterned on top of electrodes. The nanotubes bridge 10 μm sized electrode gaps and have a typical diameter of less than 2 nm as measured by Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We present electrical transport measurements on a directly grown nanotube which shows p-type semiconducting behaviour.     

Terminal protection of small molecule-linked ssDNA-SWNT nanoassembly for sensitive detection of small molecule and protein interaction

The interactions between small molecules and proteins constitute a critical regulatory mechanism in many fundamental biological processes.A novel biosensing strategy has been developed for sensitive and selective detection of small molecule and protein interaction on the basis of terminal protection of small molecule-linked ssDNA-SWNT nanoassembly.The developed strategy is demonstrated using folate and its binding protein folate receptor(FR) as a model case.The results reveal the developed technique displays superb resistance to non-specific binding,very low detection limit as low as subnanomolar,and a wide dynamic range from 100 pmol/L to 500 nmol/L of FR.Thus,it may offer a simple,cost-effective,highly selective and sensitive platform for homogeneous fluorescence detection of small molecule-protein interaction and related biochemical studies.