Sugar-functionalized triptycenes used for dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in aqueous solution by supramolecular interaction

Abstract

Noncovalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can not only preserve their unique properties, but also improve their solubility in aqueous solutions. Herein, two water-soluble sugar-functionalized triptycene derivatives were synthesized and interacted with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to form stable homogeneous aqueous solutions, which indicated the development of a successful approach to disperse SWCNTs in water. The supramolecular systems formed between triptycene derivatives and SWCNTs are fully characterized through absorption, fluorescence as well as Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the shape-fitted triptycene-based system also shows selectivity for SWCNTs with certain diameters.