Sorting of single-wall carbon nanotubes by aqueous two-phase systems

Abstract

<p indent=0mm>All intrinsic properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are directly determined by their chirality. Commercially available SWCNTs powder samples are usually mixtures of various chiralities. High-performance carbon nanotube devices, sensing, imaging and other applications require the use of SWCNTs with consistent properties, which imposes requirements on the structural sorting of SWCNTs. As an emerging technology for sorting SWCNTs, the aqueous two-phase (ATP) extraction method exhibits stable and reliable sorting results. It is simple, efficient, and easy to scale up and does not require complicated equipment. This review focused on the aqueous two-phase sorting of surfactant-SWCNTs and DNA-SWCNTs. By explaining the effects of dispersant, salt, pH and other sorting conditions on sorting result, the sorting mechanism of aqueous two-phase extraction of SWCNTs are explained. In the end, the characteristics of the aqueous two-phase extraction of DNA-SWCNTs and surfactant-SWCNTs are compared, followed by the discussion of its possible research directions in the future.