Separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes via electrophoresis

ANYL 309

Monica L. Usrey, usrey@uiuc.edu, Woo-Jae Kim, wjkim@uiuc.edu, and Michael S. Strano, strano@uiuc.edu. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 104 Roger Adams Laboratory, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
The separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) by electronic structure remains a hurdle to their application. An electronic structure selective chemistry was developed using an aryl diazonium salt to selectively react metallic nanotubes. Using this chemistry with a hydroxyl moiety allows for the control of metallic SWNT formal charge depending upon the extent of reaction. In this work, we investigate the separation of functionalized and non-functionalized carbon nanotubes using both gel electrophoresis and solution electro-diffusion. The separation efficiency is measured using UV-vis-nIR photoabsorption and Raman spectroscopy. Electrophoretic mobility is dependent upon the charge of a particle, which promotes mobility, and its hydrodynamic drag, which resists movement. A model based upon flexible rod diffusion theory is used to study the effect of covalent reaction upon the net charge and the frictional resistance in various electrophoretic systems. The predictive capabilities of the model are used to estimate optimal separation conditions.
 

Analytical Approaches: Separation Science
8:30 AM-12:00 PM, Thursday, 14 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Room 130, Oral

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, 11 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Sci-Mix

Division of Analytical Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006