Selective distributions of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes in a polymeric reverse hexagonal phase

We have investigated the distributions of individually isolated and hydrophilically functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (p-SWNTs) in the Pluronic L121-water system at the reverse hexagonal phase using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and contrast-matched small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. As the p-SWNT-L121-water system is transitioned from the lamellar phase to the reverse hexagonal phase with temperature, p-SWNTs which were selectively distributed in the polar layers of the lamellar structure become selectively distributed in the cylindrical polar cores of the reverse hexagonal structure, forming a hexagonal array of p-SWNTs. This was clearly confirmed by the contrast-matched SANS measurements. The selective distribution of p-SWNTs in the reverse hexagonal phase is driven by the selective affinity of p-SWNTs to the polar domains of the block copolymer system. The method demonstrated in this study provides a new route for fabricating ordered SWNT superstructures and may be applicable for inorganic 1D nanoparticles such as semiconducting, metallic and magnetic nanorods which are of great interest.