|
|||||
|
|
A Triptycene‐Based Approach to Solubilising Carbon Nanotubes and C60 |
|
| Authors: | Peter Hammershøj Paul H H Bomans Dr Rajamani Lakshminarayanan Jeppe Fock Stig Helmer Jensen Thomas Sand Jespersen Theis Brock‐Nannestad Tue Hassenkam Prof Jesper Nygård Prof Nico A J M Sommerdijk Prof Kristine Kilså Prof Thomas Bjørnholm Dr Jørn Bolstad Christensen |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Chemistry, The University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark), Fax: (+45)?35320212;2. Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry and Soft Matter, CryoTEM Research Unit, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands);3. Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (USA);4. Nano Science Center, The University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark), Fax: (+45)?35320212 |
| Abstract: | We describe herein the synthesis of a triptycene‐based surfactant designed with the ability to solubilise single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and C60 in water through non‐covalent interactions. Furthermore, an amphiphilic naphthalene‐based surfactant with the same ability to solubilise SWNTs and C60 has also been prepared. The compounds synthesised were designed with either two ionic or non‐ionic tails to ensure a large number of supramolecular interactions with the solvent, thereby promoting strong solubilisation. The surfactants produced stable suspensions in which the SWNTs are dispersed and the surfactant/SWNT complexes formed are stable for more than one year. UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy, TEM and AFM were employed to probe the solubilisation properties of the dispersion of surfactants and SWNTs in water. |
| Keywords: | fullerenes fused‐ring systems nanotubes supramolecular chemistry synthesis design |