Diameter-selective solubilization of carbon nanotubes by lipid micelles.
The one-step dispersion of HiPco single-walled carbon nanotubes in aqueous media with the use of a synthetic lyso-phosphatidylcholine was studied. Solubilization occurs through wrapping of lipid molecules around the circumference of the tubes, yielding lipid monolayers on the graphitic sidewalls as evidenced by atomic force microscopy imaging and dynamic light scattering measurements. Raman spectroscopy showed that the dispersion and centrifugation process leads to an effective enrichment of the stable aqueous suspension in carbon nanostructures with smaller diameters.
Tasis
Dimitrios
D
Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece.
Papagelis
Konstantinos
K
Douroumis
Dionysios
D
Smith
James R
JR
Bouropoulos
Nikolaos
N
Fatouros
Dimitrios G
DG
D004566:Electrodes; D008055:Lipids; D008823:Micelles; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D012995:Solubility
D008055:Lipids; D008823:Micelles; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon