AI Article Synopsis
- Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) struggle to stay dispersed in water due to their tendency to clump together, making their solubilization a significant challenge for researchers.
- The study explores a method where synthetic lipids form hemi-micellar structures around CNTs, which are then stabilized through photopolymerization, leading to effective coating and solubilization of various types of CNTs.
- Results show that this coating allows for complete lipid adsorption, with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirming stable, homogeneous nanotube suspensions that maintain their stability for months, especially for CNTs produced via the arc-discharge method.
Article Abstract
Because they have a great propensity to aggregation in water, solubilization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous media remains an important challenge. Our laboratory has reported the self-organization of synthetic lipids into hemi-micellar structures at the carbon nanotubes surface. Subsequent stabilization of these carbon nanotube/lipid assembly (CNT/LA) constructs is achieved through photopolymerization of the diyne motif of the pentacosa-10,12-diynoic lipids. Herein we investigate the scope of this coating procedure for CNT solubilization. A panel of CNTs was selected according to the method of production and the characteristics of CNTs. The study revealed that it is possible to reach a complete lipid adsorption. The TEM analyses demonstrate that lipid hemi-micellar self-assemblies can be formed around SWNTs as well as around DWNTs and MWNTs, particularly for carbon nanotubes produced by the arc-discharged method. The nanotube suspensions show a very good stability and are homogeneous for months even at a high nanotubes concentration.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp1010007 | DOI Listing |
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