Chemically-Responsive Sol-Gel Transition of Supramolecular Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) Hydrogel Made by Hybrids of SWNTs and Cyclodextrins

摘要

We synthesized hybrids of SWNTs and CDs by immobilization of Py-β-CDs on SWNT surface. Py-β-CD/SWNT hybrids were soluble in aqueous media. Furthermore, supramo-lecular SWNT hydrogels were synthesized by host-guest interactions between β-CDs of Py-β-CD/SWNT hybrids and dodecyl groups of PAA2. The supramolecular SWNT hydrogel exhibited gel to sol transition by adding competitive guest and host. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of gel to sol changeable SWNT hydrogel via supramolecular formation, while supramolecular networks from cyclodextrin polymers and guest polymers have been reported. Future work will focus on modification of SWNT with functional groups such as chromophores, medicines, electron donors, and acceptors toward solar energy conversion, fluorescence labels in biomedicine, and photo-oxidation of guest by means of host-guest interaction using Py-β-CD/SWNT hybrids because CD forms host-guest complexes with various kinds of functional compounds.