(693c) Spontaneous Dissolution of Ultralong Carbon Nanotubes for Production of Neat CNT Fibers | AIChE

(693c) Spontaneous Dissolution of Ultralong Carbon Nanotubes for Production of Neat CNT Fibers

Authors 

Parra-Vasquez, A. N. G. - Presenter, Université de Bordeaux, Institut d'Optique Graduate School & CNRS
Behabtu, N. - Presenter, Rice University
Green, M. J. - Presenter, Rice University
Pint, C. L. - Presenter, Rice University
Young, C. C. - Presenter, Rice University
Schmidt, J. - Presenter, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Kesselman, E. - Presenter, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Goyal, A. - Presenter, Rice University
Cohen, Y. - Presenter, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Talmon, Y. - Presenter, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Hauge, R. H. - Presenter, Rice University
Pasquali, M. - Presenter, Rice University


We report that chlorosulfonic acid is a true solvent for a wide range of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), including single-walled (SWNTs), double-walled (DWNTs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), and CNTs hundreds of micrometers long. The CNTs dissolve as individuals at low concentrations, as determined by cryo-TEM (cryogenic transmission electron microscopy), and form liquid-crystalline phases at high concentrations. The mechanism of dissolution is electrostatic stabilization through reversible protonation of the CNT side walls, as previously established for SWNTs. CNTs with highly defective side walls do not protonate sufficiently and, hence, do not dissolve. The dissolution and liquid-crystallinity of ultralong CNTs are critical advances in the liquid-phase processing of macroscopic CNT-based materials, such as fibers and films.