Abstract
The natural α-amino acid derivate N-dodecanoyl leucinate was synthesized via Schotten–Baumann reaction and alkali treatment, and was applied to the dispersion of arc-discharged single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Optical absorption and Raman scattering spectra as well as AFM observation confirmed the effective individualization and selective dispersion of SWNTs. Moreover, charge transfer from N-dodecanoyl leucinate to SWNTs was evidenced by FT-IR and Raman scattering spectroscopic analyses. We believe that the formation of a charge transfer complex between dispersants and SWNTs is responsible for the effective individualization of SWNTs, and that the charge transfer from dispersants to SWNTs (or from SWNTs to dispersants) is crucial for selective dispersion of semiconducting (or metallic) SWNTs.
Highlights
IntroductionSingle-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have great potential because of their excellent electronic, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties.[1,2,3] individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) play very important roles in the elds of scanning probe microscope, drug delivery, chemical or biological sensing and miniaturization of electronic circuitry.[4,5,6,7,8] the available preparation techniques yield inevitably huge and close bundles of SWNTs, which imposes a considerable challenge for their separation and assembly in both aqueous and non-aqueous solution.[9]
We believe that the formation of a charge transfer complex between dispersants and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is responsible for the effective individualization of SWNTs, and that the charge transfer from dispersants to SWNTs is crucial for selective dispersion of semiconducting SWNTs
In line with the electronic band theory,[43] the spectral features could be assigned to SWNTs with varying chiral indices
Summary
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have great potential because of their excellent electronic, thermal, optical, and mechanical properties.[1,2,3] individual SWNTs play very important roles in the elds of scanning probe microscope, drug delivery, chemical or biological sensing and miniaturization of electronic circuitry.[4,5,6,7,8] the available preparation techniques yield inevitably huge and close bundles of SWNTs, which imposes a considerable challenge for their separation and assembly in both aqueous and non-aqueous solution.[9]. Li et al.[39] reported the dispersion of CoMoCAT SWNTs with the assistance of a commercial available amino acid surfactant N-cocoyl sarcosinate, enabling it possible to separate SWNTs in line with diameters by density gradient centrifugation. In this context, the natural a-amino acid surfactant, N-dodecanoyl leucinate, was designed and synthesized through the Shortton–Bowman reaction and treatment with sodium hydroxide in alcohol medium (Scheme 1). The N-dodecanoyl leucinate dispersed arc-discharged SWNTs are superior to the N-cocoyl sarcosinate dispersed CoMoCAT tubes for their longer length and better biocompatibility
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