Advanced Polymer Architecture for Preparation of Hairy Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Advanced polymer architectures present new opportunities for single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) functionalization resulting in intriguing supramolecular structures. Graft copolymers, in particular, possess distinctive properties from their linear analogues. Their unique self-assembly behaviour and conformational variations are of specific interest. Herein a series of poly(fluorene)-g-poly(ethylene glycol) graft copolymers are used to prepare dispersions of SWNTs, first in THF then through solvent exchange in water. Using strain promoted azide alkyne cycloaddition, various molecular weights of mPEG chains (5, 10, 20 and 40 kDa) have been grafted onto a poly(fluorene) backbone. Atomic Force Microscopy shows that increase in side chain degree of polymerization results in distinct conformational differences between each graft copolymer leading to subsequent unique architectures of SWNT dispersions.