title: Electrochemical Redox Switchable Dispersion of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Water.
abstract: We present a new, efficient approach to achieve superior dispersibility of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in water by integrating reversible host-guest interaction and π-π stacking. In this approach, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was first modified with a pyrene group to be adsorbed onto the wall of pristine SWNTs via π-π stacking, followed by further functionalization with ferrocene (Fc)-terminated water-soluble poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) through supramolecular host-guest interaction between β-CD and Fc. Upon alternate electrochemical oxidative/reductive stimuli, the reversible host-guest pair enabled the PEG-Fc@Py-CD@SWNTs to exhibit switchable conversion between dispersion and aggregation states. Electric field controllable PEG-Fc@Py-CD@SWNTs with good reversibility and intact nanotube structure may find potential applications in selective screening of SWNTs, biosensors, and targeted drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronic & Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Anchao
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronic & Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Liao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronic & Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Bowen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronic & Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Senyang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States.
authors.forename: Shanfeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronic & Molecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Jinying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
keywords: dispersion of SWNTs; electrochemical redox switch; host−guest interaction; single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs); stimuli-responsive polymer