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conferenceseries.com
March 20-22, 2017 Orlando, USA
3rd International Conference on
Smart Materials & Structures
Volume 6, Issue 2 (Suppl) J Material Sci Eng
ISSN: 2169-0022 JME, an open access journal Smart Materials 2017
March 20-22, 2017
Modulating the surfactant structure around single wall carbon nanotubes for single chirality separations
Kirk J Ziegler, Yang Zhao and Jia Xu
University of Florida, USA
The post synthesis separation of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is needed for their inclusion in novel electronic
devices. For example, semiconducting SWCNTs have unique optoelectronic properties that can be utilized in photovoltaics and
biosensors. The high surface area of nanomaterials dictates that the interface with their surroundings is important in determining their
properties or functionality. For example, all atoms in SWCNTs exist on the surface and therefore, have excellent sensing capabilities.
The interface of SWCNTs with their surroundings is also important to their application in polymer composites, devices, drug delivery,
bioimaging and biosensing. SWCNT interfaces are often altered with surfactants to improve their dispersion in aqueous suspensions.
Understanding and ultimately controlling these surface layers is important because of its influence on reactivity, adsorption of
pollutants and interaction with materials. Our group has focused on characterizing and controlling SWCNT interfaces for high-
fidelity separations of semiconducting SWCNTs by the n, m type. Here we report the high-fidelity desorption of single-chirality
SWCNTs from hydrogels through surfactant structure modulation. High-purity fractions of (n, m) SWCNTs are obtained with high
yield once a specific ratio of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/sodium deoxycholate (DOC) co-surfactant solution is used as the eluent.
The elution of only one n, m type at a specific co-surfactant ratio while other types are exposed to more surfactant suggests that each
n, m type forms a thermodynamically-stable surfactant structure in the co-surfactant solution.
Biography
Kirk J Ziegler has joined the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Florida in 2005. His work on SWCNTs has focused on understanding the effect of
surfactant-nanotube interactions on dispersion and separation processes. His work on nanowire arrays has applications in energy-related devices, which require high
surface area to maximize energy generation or storage.
Kirk J Ziegler et al., J Material Sci Eng 2017, 6:2 (Suppl)