Soft matter engineering of carbon nanotubes: polyelectrolytes as tools for surface tailoring, self-organization and templation of hybrid nanostructures

Abstract

Polyelectrolytes have been extensively used for the surface engineering of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to increase colloidal solubility and to endow CNTs with specific functions, include them in organized films, and to fabricate hybrid nanostructures. The scope of this article is to provide an overview of the different possible applications of polyelectrolytes for the modification of CNTs, which is one of the interests of our group. Polyelectrolytes provide multiple routes for the engineering and tailoring of CNTs. Polyelectrolytes can be either grafted to or synthesized from CNT walls, as well as self-assembled on top of the CNTs. The multiple charges present in the polyelectrolyte chains bring good water stability to the CNTs. Polyelectrolytes can also be used to assemble or synthesize nanoparticles and to deposit lipid layers on the top of CNTs, resulting in hybrid structures with targeted properties: magnetic, optical and biocompatibility. In addition, the coating of CNTs with polyelectrolytes allows their assembly in Layer by Layer films and in Langmuir–Blodgett films to obtain nanoscale organized films.