Trajectory of the Selective Dissolution of Charged Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
File(s)
Accepted version
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) are materials with an array of remarkable physical properties determined by their geometries, however, SWCNTs are typically produced as a mixture of different lengths and electronic types. Consequently, many methods have been developed to sort the as-produced SWCNT samples by their physical cha-racteristics, often requiring aggressive and unscalable techniques to overcome the strong bundling forces between the nanotubes. Previously, it has been shown that negatively charging SWCNTs can lead to their thermodynamically-driven dissolution in polar solvents, and moreover that this process can selectively dissolve different SWNCT species, albeit with contrasting claims of selectivity. Here we carefully investigate dissolution as a function of charge added to the SWCNT starting material, using a range of complementary techniques. We uncover a far richer dependence on charge of SWCNT dissolution than previously reported. At low charge added, amorphous carbons preferentially dissolve, followed sequentially by metallic, larger diameter semiconducting SWCNTs, and finally smaller diameter semiconducting SWCNTs. At an optimal value, the dissolution yield is maximized across all species, however at higher charge than this we find the larger diameter and metallic SWCNTs are so charged they are no longer soluble, leaving smaller diameter SWCNTs in solution. Our results therefore clearly demonstrate two interconnected mechanisms for dissolution: on one hand charging of the SWNCTs based on their respective electron affinities on the other the solution thermodynamics. This work reconciles contrasting reports in the literature, provides a blueprint for scalable SWCNT separation and more generally demonstrates the..
Date Issued
2017-09-04
Date Acceptance
2017-09-04
Citation
Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2017, 121 (39), pp.21703-21712
ISSN
1932-7447
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
21703
End Page
21712
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Volume
121
Issue
39
Copyright Statement
This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY)
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the author and source are cited.
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the author and source are cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant Number
EP/G007314/1
EP/L001896/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Technology
Chemistry, Physical
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chemistry
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Materials Science
RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY
REDUCTIVE DISSOLUTION
FULLERIDE ANIONS
PURIFICATION
GRAPHENE
FUNCTIONALIZATION
SPECTRA
AMMONIA
GROWTH
POLYELECTROLYTES
09 Engineering
03 Chemical Sciences
10 Technology
Physical Chemistry
Publication Status
Published online