(293d) Self-Assembled Rosettes As Chemically Defined Corona Phases for One Dimensional Nanomaterials

Liquid phase dispersion and exfoliation is one of the primary methods of large batch production of singly separated nanomaterials, which is often a step toward harnessing the unique properties attributed to materials at the nanoscale. In the case of aqueous solutions, hydrophobic materials such as graphene or single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) necessitate either chemical functionalization or non-covalent association with amphiphilic components to remain stable during experimental timescales. In the case of non-covalent conjugation, the surface arrangements of the dispersants often create an amorphous corona phase around the nanoparticle, complicating the material control and design. In this work, we propose the use of self-assembled nanostructures consisting of heteroaromatic bicyclic bases, rosette nanotubes (RNTs), to encapsulate SWCNTs in the dispersion process. We demonstrate and characterize singly-encapsulated RNT-SWCNT complexes that has a much higher surface coverage and water exclusion than most other aqueous SWCNT systems. In addition to a SWCNT diameter preference in the dispersion process, the encapsulated SWCNT shows both diameter and chirality dependent photophysical phenomena that is linked to the RNT structure. Thus, the RNT-SWCNT system acts as a regularly defined corona phase affords unprecedented control of SWCNT properties and subsequently function.