Chemistry of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Palladium Nanoclusters Deposited on Single-Walled Carbon Nanohorns

This study reports a direct route for deposition of Pd nanoclusters on single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) in a one step reaction involving chemical reduction of metal ions in the presence of a polymer-stabilizer. The applied strategy provides small Pd nanoclusters with an average diameter of approximately 2.3 nm robustly attached to the nanotubular carbon. The attachment is mediated by the polymer (poly(vinylpyrrolidone), PVP) used to stabilize the nanoclusters.

Applications of Carbon Nanotubes in Biotechnology and Biomedicine

Due to their electrical, chemical, mechanical and thermal properties, carbon nanotubes are one of the most promising materials for the electronics, computer and aerospace industries. Here, we discuss their properties in the context of future applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. The purification and chemical modification of carbon nanotubes with organic, polymeric and biological molecules are discussed. Additionally we review their uses in biosensors, assembly of structures and devices, scanning probe microscopy and as substrates for neuronal growth. We note that additional toxicity studies of carbon nanotubes are necessary so that exposure guidelines and safety regulations can be established in a timely manner.

Theory of Structure-Based Carbon Nanotube Separations by Ion-Exchange Chromatography of DNA/CNT Hybrids

Single-stranded DNA wrap helically around individual single-walled carbon nanotubes to form DNA/CNT hybrids, which are both stable and dispersible in aqueous solution. Subjected to ion-exchange chromatography, a hybrid elutes at an ionic strength that depends on the electronic character and diameter of the core nanotube, thus providing a mechanism for separating nanotubes by chirality. We present a theoretical model for this separation process that explains all the salient features observed experimentally to date, and provides accurate predictions for critical elution salt concentration. The competition between adsorption on the stationary phase and counterion condensation in the mobile phase is characterized by estimating the difference in free energy between the two states of the hybrid. Parametric study of the DNA wrapping geometry, SWNT dielectric properties, hybrid length, and diameter indicate that the elution is most sensitive to the hybrid's effective charge density, primarily governed by the DNA helical pitch. The model correctly predicts hybrids with metallic nanotubes are weaker binding than hybrids with semiconducting nanotubes and larger diameter nanotubes are eluted at later times.

Solubilization of boron nitride nanotubes

A successful attempt in the functionalization and solubilization of boron nitride nanotubes is reported, and a functionalization mechanism based on interactions of amino functional groups with nanotube surface borons is proposed.

β-1,3-Glucan polysaccharides as novel one-dimensional hosts for DNA/RNA, conjugated polymers and nanoparticles

Beta-1,3-glucan polysaccharides have triple-stranded helical structures whose sense and pitch are comparable to those of polynucleotides. We recently revealed that the beta-1,3-glucans could interact with certain polynucleotides to form triple-stranded and helical macromolecular complexes consisting of two polysaccharide-strands and one polynucleotide-strand. This unique property of the beta-1,3-glucans has made it possible to utilize these polysaccharides as potential carriers for various functional polynucleotides. In particular, cell-uptake efficiency of the resultant polysaccharide/polynucleotide complexes was remarkably enhanced when functional groups recognized in a biological system were introduced as pendent groups. The beta-1,3-glucans can also interact with various one-dimensional architectures, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes, to produce unique nanocomposites, in which the single-walled carbon nanotubes are entrapped within the helical superstructure of beta-1,3-glucans. Various conductive polymers and gold nanoparticles are also entrapped within the helical superstructure in a similar manner. In addition, diacetylene monomers entrapped within the helical superstructure can be photo-polymerized to afford the corresponding poly(diacetylene)-nanofibers with a uniform diameter. These findings indicate that the beta-1,3-glucans are very attractive and useful materials not only in biotechnology but also in nanotechnology. These unique properties of the beta-1,3-glucans undoubtedly originate from their inherent, very strong helix-forming character which has never been observed for other polysaccharides.

Supported coordination polymerization: a unique way to potent polyolefin carbon nanotube nanocomposites

Homogeneous surface coating of long carbon nanotubes is achieved by in situ polymerization of ethylene as catalyzed directly from the nanotube surface-treated by a highly active metallocene-based complex and allows for the break-up of the native nanotube bundles leading, upon further melt blending with HDPE, to high-performance polyolefinic nanocomposites.

Are Stone−Wales Defect Sites Always More Reactive Than Perfect Sites in the Sidewalls of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes?

Density functional computations show, in contrast to general assumptions, that the reactions at the 7-7 ring fusions of Stone-Wales defects in the sidewalls of armchair (5,5) single-wall carbon nanotubes are much less exothermic than reactions at perfect sites. In addition, the peripheral 5-6 and 6-7 ring fusions of the defect are much more reactive.

Concomitant Length and Diameter Separation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Gel electrophoresis and column chromatography conducted on individually dispersed, ultrasonicated single-walled carbon nanotubes yield simultaneous separation by tube length and diameter. Electroelution after electrophoresis is shown to produce highly resolved fractions of nanotubes with average lengths between 92 and 435 nm. Separation by diameter is concomitant with length fractionation, and nanotubes that have been cut shortest also possess the greatest relative enrichments of large-diameter species. Longer sonication time causes increased electrophoretic mobility in the gels; thus, ultrasonic processing determines the degree of both length and diameter separation of the nanotubes. The relative quantum yield decreases nonlinearly as the nanotube length becomes shorter. These techniques constitute a preparative, scalable method for separating nanotubes by two important attributes required for electronic and sensor applications.

Small-angle neutron scattering from surfactant-assisted aqueous dispersions of carbon nanotubes

The mechanism of surfactant-assisted dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in water is studied by small-angle neutron scattering. The previously hypothesized formation of cylindrical micelles with the nanotubes forming the core of cylinders is inconsistent with the data presented. The scattering data favor a random structureless adsorption model for the dispersion of the nanotubes.

Organic functionalization of sidewall of carbon nanotubes

Using density functional theory, we have theoretically studied sidewall functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNT) with a nucleophilic organic carbene, dipyridyl imidazolidene (DPI). When compared to the dissociated system, formation of the adduct from defect-free (5,5) tube and the DPI is weakly exothermic. However, introduction of (5,7,7,5) defect or nitrogen doping at the CNT stabilizes the adduct in both physical and chemical senses, suggesting a possible way to enrich the chemistry of sidewall functionalization. The work function of the adducts is found to decrease by approximately 0.4 eV per DPI/80 atoms. Upon binding of the DPI, electronic structures are modified in such a way that small gaps are introduced, where the size of the gap depends upon the degree of functionalization.

Debundling and dissolution of single-walled carbon nanotubes in amide solvents

Wet chemical methods involving ultrasound and amide solvents were used to purify and separate large bundles of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) into individual nanotubes that could then be transported to silicon or mica substrates. The SWNTs studied were produced by the arc-discharge process. Dry oxidation was used in an initial step to remove amorphous carbon. Subsequently, two acid purification schemes were investigated (HCl- and HNO(3)-reflux) to remove the metal growth catalyst (Ni-Y). Finally, ultrasonic dispersion of isolated tubes into either N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was carried out. Raman scattering, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and electron microscopy were used to study the evolution of the products. Raman scattering was used to probe possible wall damage during the chemical processing. We found that both HCl and HNO(3) could be used to successfully remove the Ni-Y below approximately 1 wt %. However, the HNO(3)-reflux produced significant wall damage (that could be reversed by vacuum annealing at 1000 degrees C). In the dispersion step, both amide solvents (DMF and NMP) produced a high degree of isolated tubes in the final product, and no damage during this dispersion step was observed. HNO(3)-refluxed tubes were found to disperse the best into the amide solvents, perhaps because of significant wall functionalization. AFM was used to study the filament diameter and length distributions in the final product, and interesting differences in these distributions were observed, depending on the chemical processing route.

Diminished Band-Gap Transitions of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Complexation with Aromatic Molecules

The near-IR absorption spectrum of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes is characterized by the transitions associated with the first (S11) and second (S22) pairs of van Hove singularities in the electronic density of states. We report that a significant effect on the transitions can be caused by non-covalent complexation of the nanotube with planar aromatic molecules such as pyrenes in solution, resulting in the absence of S11 and S22 bands in the near-IR absorption spectrum. Since the complexation is reversible, the characteristic absorption bands can be turned on and off with the complexation in a reversible fashion.

Effects of finite carbon nanotube length on sidewall addition of fluorine atom and methylene

Density functional computations (PBE and B3LYP) in conjunction with 3-21G and 6-31G basis sets are used to determine the energy of fluorine atom and CH(2) addition to the sidewall of (5,5) C(30+10)(n)()H(20) (n = 0, 1, 2.18) carbon nanotube slabs. A pronounced oscillation of the addition energy is found for fluorine atom addition, while oscillations are significantly damped for carbene addition due to the insertion into CC bonds. [structure: see text]

Dispersions of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes of high length

In summary, we have presented a suitable approach to obtain surfactant-stabilized suspensions of long, individually dispersed SWCNTs essentially free of bundles. The combination of mild tip and bath ultrasonication has proven effective in unbundling the SWCNT ropes and, at the same time, in minimizing tube shortening. This method is expected to be useful for applications that critically depend on the availability of bulk dispersions of long, individual tubes with minimized defect densities, such as for nanotube-based electronics and composite materials. Furthermore, the observed purification-induced changes in the electronic structure of HiPco SWCNTs indicate that care has to be taken when comparing their properties with those of the as-produced material.

Deuterium Attachment to Carbon Nanotubes in Deuterated Water

A systematic investigation on the unusual attachment of labile deuterium to carbon nanotubes in deuterated water and alcohols is reported. The carbon nanotubes were solubilized through the established functionalization of the nanotube-bound carboxylic acids to allow solution-phase reaction and characterization. The deuterium attachment was found under several experimental conditions, including the use of deuterated ethanol as a co-reactant in the nanotube functionalization reaction and the refluxing of functionalized or simply purified carbon nanotubes in deuterated water and alcohols. The solubility of the functionalized carbon nanotube samples in common organic solvents and water allowed unambiguous (2)H NMR characterization. The reproducible broad (2)H NMR signal at approximately 6.5 ppm is assigned to carbon nanotube-attached deuterium species. The assignment is supported by the results from FT-IR measurements. The carbon-deuterium interaction is so strong that the corresponding vibration resembles the typical C-D stretching mode in the characteristic frequency region. The FT-IR peak intensities also correlate well with the (2)H NMR signal integrations in a series of samples. Mechanistic implications of the results are discussed.

Layer-by-Layer electrostatic self-assembly of polyelectrolyte nanoshells on individual carbon nanotube templates

Carbon nanotubes have been featured prominently in the nanotechnology research for some time, yet robust strategies for noncovalent chemical modification of the nanotube surface are still missing. Such strategies are essential for the creation of functional device architectures. Here, we present a new general procedure for carbon nanotube modification based on polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer assembly. We have built multilayer structures around individual carbon nanotube bridges by first modifying the nanotube surface with a pyrene derivative followed by layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolyte macroions on the nanotube. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy images confirm the formation of nanometer-thick amorphous polymer nanoshells around the nanotubes. These multilayer polyelectrolyte shells on individual carbon nanotubes introduce nearly unlimited opportunities for the incorporation of various functionalities into nanotube devices, which, in turn, opens up the possibility of building more complex multicomponent structures.

Selective Metallic Tube Reactivity in the Solution-Phase Osmylation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes have been reacted with osmium tetroxide (OsO(4)) in solution in the presence of O(2) and UV irradiation at 254 nm. We observe one main structural motif, namely thickly coated nanotube structures, densely covered with OsO(2), consisting of multiple bundles of derivatized tubes. In a few instances, bridging uncoated tubes, connecting these thickly coated structures, incorporate a number of smaller nanotube bundles, projecting out from the larger functionalized aggregates of tubes. It is believed that OsO(2) (a) initially forms on the nanotubes by the preferential covalent sidewall functionalization of metallic nanotubes and (b) subsequently self-aggregates. The formation of an intermediate charge-transfer complex is likely the basis for the observed selectivity and reactivity of metallic tubes. Extensive characterization of these osmylated adducts has been performed using a variety of electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy techniques.

Donor–acceptor nanoensembles of soluble carbon nanotubes

Donor-acceptor nanoensembles, prepared via electrostatic interactions of single wall carbon nanotubes and porphyrin salts, give rise to photoinduced intra-complex charge separation that lasts tens of microseconds.

Structure-based carbon nanotube sorting by sequence-dependent DNA assembly

Wrapping of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was found to be sequence-dependent. A systematic search of the ssDNA library selected a sequence d(GT)n, n = 10 to 45 that self-assembles into a helical structure around individual nanotubes in such a way that the electrostatics of the DNA-CNT hybrid depends on tube diameter and electronic properties, enabling nanotube separation by anion exchange chromatography. Optical absorption and Raman spectroscopy show that early fractions are enriched in the smaller diameter and metallic tubes, whereas late fractions are enriched in the larger diameter and semiconducting tubes.

Polymer Brushes on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of n-Butyl Methacrylate

Polymer brushes with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) as backbones were synthesized by grafting n-butyl methacrylate (nBMA) from the ends and sidewalls of SWNT via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Carboxylic acid groups on SWNT were formed by nitric acid oxidation. The ATRP initiators were covalently attached to the SWNT by esterification of 2-hydroxyethyl 2'-bromopropionate with carboxylic acid groups. Methyl 2-bromopropionate (MBP) was added as free initiator during the brush preparation to control growth of the brushes and to monitor the polymerization kinetics. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) results show that the molecular weight of free poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA) increased linearly with nBMA monomer conversion. PnBMA cleaved from the SWNT after high conversion had the same molecular weight as PnBMA produced in solution. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) show that the amount of PnBMA grown from the SWNT increased linearly with the molecular weight of the free PnBMA. The most highly PnBMA-functionalized SWNT dissolve in 1,2-dichlorobenzene, chloroform, and tetrahydrofuran, and solubility increases with the amount of PnBMA bound to SWNT. Near-infrared and Raman spectra indicate that the side walls of the SWNT were lightly functionalized by the nitric acid treatment and that the degree of functionalization of the SWNT did not change significantly during the formation of initiator or during the polymerization. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show contour lengths of the SWNT brushes on a mica surface from 200 nm to 2.0 microm and an average height of the backbone of 2-3 nm, indicating that the bundles of original SWNT were broken into individual tubes by functionalization and polymerization.

Experimental and Computational Investigations of the Properties of Fluorinated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Fluorination of single-walled carbon nanotubes by reaction with elemental fluorine at elevated temperatures provides fluorinated single-walled carbon nanotubes (F-SWNT), which have the highest degree of functionalization (up to F/C = 1/2) of any derivatized carbon-nanotube material reported to date. Also, F-SWNTs have received more scrutiny than any other functionalized carbon nanotubes. This Minireview covers experimental and computational investigations of F-SWNTs with a focus on the nature and the strength of the C-F linkage.

Sidewall Carboxylic Acid Functionalization of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

The reactions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with succinic or glutaric acid acyl peroxides in o-dichlorobenzene at 80-90 degrees C resulted in the addition of 2-carboxyethyl or 3-carboxypropyl groups, respectively, to the sidewalls of the SWNT. These acid-functionalized SWNTs were converted to acid chlorides by derivatization with SOCl(2) and then to amides with terminal diamines such as ethylenediamine, 4,4'-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine), and diethyltoluenediamine. The acid-functionalized SWNTs and the amide derivatives were characterized by a set of materials characterization methods including attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR, Raman and solid state (13)C NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermal gravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS). The degree of SWNT sidewall functionalization with the acid-terminated groups was estimated as 1 in 24 carbons on the basis of TG-MS data. In comparison with the pristine SWNTs, the acid-functionalized SWNTs show an improved solubility in polar solvents, for example, alcohols and water, which enables their processing for incorporation into polymer composite structures as well as for a variety of biomedical applications.