Polyglycerol-derived amphiphiles for single walled carbon nanotube suspension

Inspired by the commercially available SDS surfactant, a new polyglycerol-derived amphiphile has been synthesized for functionalizing carbon nanotubes. SDS’ sulphate group was replaced by a polyglycerol dendron. The steric hindrance offered by the dendrons makes the compound much more efficient than SDS in isolating and stabilizing nanotubes in solution. Further amphiphiles have been synthesized by adding small aromatic moieties between head and tail groups. We show that this addition leads to selective interaction between surfactants and carbon nanotubes. Excitation photoluminescence and optical absorption spectroscopy analysis confirm the change in the distribution of nanotubes’ chiralities in suspension, depending on the amphiphile.