(328e) Two Phase Extraction Separation of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) is a powerful technique for the separation of single semiconducting and metallic species of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). By controlling the relative affinity of the dispersed particles for each phase through co-surfactant concentrations, nanotubes as small as 0.6 nm and as large as 1.7 nm have been separated into single species populations.  In this presentation we will first describe the general dextran – polyethylene glycol (PEG) aqueous two-phase system with bile salt surfactants, and then demonstrate the sequential isolation of single SWCNT species across a wide diameter range.  Beyond the remarkable tunability that allows isolation of many single nanotube chiralities at high purity, the partitioning method can also be automated and used at large scale.  Details of the separation, analysis of the underlying colloidal forces driving the partition phenomenon, and selected application examples of the separated materials will be presented.