title: Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes sorting with a removable solubilizer based on dynamic supramolecular coordination chemistry.
abstract: Highly pure semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are essential for the next generation of electronic devices, such as field-effect transistors and photovoltaic applications; however, contamination by metallic SWNTs reduces the efficiency of their associated devices. Here we report a simple and efficient method for the separation of semiconducting- and metallic SWNTs based on supramolecular complex chemistry. We here describe the synthesis of metal-coordination polymers (CP-Ms) composed of a fluorene-bridged bis-phenanthroline ligand and metal ions. On the basis of a difference in the 'solubility product' of CP-M-solubilized semiconducting SWNTs and metallic SWNTs, we readily separated semiconducting SWNTs. Furthermore, the CP-M polymers on the SWNTs were simply removed by adding a protic acid and inducing depolymerization to the monomer components. We also describe molecular mechanics calculations to reveal the difference of binding and wrapping mode between CP-M/semiconducting SWNTs and CP-M/metallic SWNTs. This study opens a new stage for the use of such highly pure semiconducting SWNTs in many possible applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Toshimitsu
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan [2] World Premier International Research Center Initiative-International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan [3] Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology (CREST), 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan.
authors.forename: Naotoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakashima