(706g) Analysis of Surfactant Exchange Kinetics of DNA-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are one-dimensional nanostructures that have defined handedness and helicity. The unique optical and electronic properties of distinct SWCNT species offer possibilities in many promising technological applications. Particularly, the comprehensive SWCNT sorting by single-stranded DNA achieved in recent years has stimulated the understanding of structure-property relationships for structurally defined DNA-wrapped SWCNTs (DNA-SWCNTs). In this work, we measured the kinetics of surfactant exchange reactions of structurally sorted DNA-SWCNTs by monitoring spectral changes in the SWNCT absorption and fluorescence. The results were correlated to the binding strength of the specific SWCNT species and DNA recognition pair. In addition, the impact of environmental stimuli, such as temperature, on the dispersion stability and optical properties of DNA-SWCNTs has been investigated. These efforts will enable us to better understand the interactions of DNA-SWCNTs with certain environments and to design novel DNA-SWCNT hybrid materials for applications development.