(693e) The Rheology of Double-Stranded DNA Stabilized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Dispersions

Aqueous dispersions of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) stabilized by double stranded DNA (dsDNA) can form isotropic, nematic or cholesteric microstructures depending on the relative concentrations and processing methodology.  This enables the production of coatings, films and fibers with a broad range of properties.  For example, dilute dispersions can be used to prepare coatings with heights as low as 1.6 nm and controlled orientation and nematic dispersions can be solution spun to produce fibers tens of microns in diameter.  Cholesteric dispersions can be processed into films where the optical characteristics are dependent on the cholesteric pitch.  We report rheological characterization of the initial dispersions and highlight how this rheological understanding can be used to better understand and control both the dispersion microstructure and the properties of the final assembled materials.