RESUMEN
Easily reversible aqueous dispersion/precipitation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) has been demonstrated using small-molecule non-ionic pyrene-based surfactants, which exhibit lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behaviour. The MWNTs are dispersed by means of non-covalent interactions. The dispersibility can be switched "off" (i.e., MWNTs precipitated) upon heating and switched "on" (i.e., MWNTs re-dispersed) upon cooling and merely swirling the sample at room temperature, that is, under very mild conditions. This effect is also observed under high ionic strength conditions with NaCl in the aqueous phase.
RESUMEN
A complementary double-covalent functionalization of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that involves both solubilizing ionic liquids and electroactive moieties is reported. Our strategy is a simple and efficient methodology based on the stepwise functionalization of the nanotube surface with two different organic moieties. In a first instance, oxidized SWCNTs are amidated with ionic liquid precursors, and further treated with n-butyl bromide to afford SWCNTs functionalized with 1-butylimidazolium bromide. This approach allows tuneable polarity induced by anion exchange, which has an effect on the relative solubility of the modified SWCNTs in water. Subsequently, a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction was performed to introduce the electron-acceptor 11,11,12,12-tetracyano-9,10-anthra-para-quinodimethane (TCAQ) unit on the SWCNTs. Furthermore, to evaluate the influence of the functional group position, the TCAQ electroactive molecule was anchored through an esterification reaction onto previously oxidized SWCNTs, followed by the Tour reaction to introduce the ionic liquid functions. IR and Raman spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed and clearly confirmed the double-covalent functionalization of the SWCNTs.