Reacting soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes with singlet oxygen

CHED 331

Mark A. Hamon, hamonma@millsaps.edu, Kristina Lynn Stensaas, stenskl@millsaps.edu, Miles Allen Sugar, Katherine C. Tumminello, and Anna K. Allred, allreak@millsaps.edu. Department of Chemistry, Millsaps College, Jackson, MS 39210
Soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes were oxidized with singlet oxygen and the reaction progress was monitored utilizing FT-IR and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. The results indicate reversible covalent addition of oxygen to the walls of the nanotubes, most likely producing either the [2+2] or [4+2] cycloaddition product. Oxidative selectivity of singlet oxygen for metallic over semiconducting SWNTs was demonstrated and it is proposed that this selectivity can be utilized as a method for nanotube purification.