Solubilization and applications of single-walled carbon nanotubes into aqueous and organic media by the use of nanometer size-controlled fluoroalkyl end-capped oligomeric aggregates

Abstract

We have studied on the solubilization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SW-CNTs) into aqueous and organic media by the use of a variety of nanometer size-controlled fluorinated self-assemblies, which were formed by the aggregations of end-capped fluoroalkyl segments in fluoroalkyl end-capped acrylic acid oligomers [R F–(ACA) n –R F], N, N-dimethylacrylamide oligomers [R F–(DMAA) n –R F], acryloylmorpholine oligomers [R F–(ACMO) n –R F], and N-(1,1-dimethyl-3-oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomers [R F–(DOBAA) n –R F]. Fluorinated self assemblies formed in organic media (colorless solutions) could solubilize SW-CNTs into organic media to afford the transparent pale yellow solutions. The dynamic light scattering measurements showed that the size of fluorinated self-assemblies increased after the solubilization of SW-CNTs into organic media. It was suggested that the solubilization of SW-CNTs into organic media is due to the encapsulation of SW-CNTs into fluorinated assemblies. Fluorinated assemblies were also able to solubilize SW-CNTs into water to give the transparent gray solutions. Among a variety of fluorinated assemblies, fluorinated assemblies formed by R F–(ACMO) n –R F [R F = CF(CF 3)OC 6F 13] oligomer was more effective for the solubilization of SW-CNTs into both aqueous and organic media. Contact angle measurements of dodecane and the fluorescence spectra for poly(methyl methacrylate) cast film modified by fluorinated self-assemblies—SW-CNTs complexes showed that SW-CNTs are dispersed above the PMMA surface.