Soluble Ultra-Short Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Soluble, ultra-short (length < 60 nm), carboxylated, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs)\nhave been prepared by a scalable process. This process, predicated on oleum's (100% H₂SO₄ with excess\nSO₃) ability to intercalate between individual SWNTs inside SWNT ropes, is a procedure that simultaneously\ncuts and functionalizes SWNTs using a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids. The solubility of these ultra-short SWNTs (US-SWNTs) in organic solvents, superacid and water is about 2 wt %. The availability of\nsoluble US-SWNTs could open opportunities for forming high performance composites, blends, and\ncopolymers without inhibiting their processibility.