Effect of Surfactant Structure on Carbon Nanotube Sidewall Adsorption

Abstract One conventional and two related gemini surfactants have been used for the preparation of stable single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) aqueous dispersions. The surfactants investigated are able to disperse SWNTs at surfactant/carbon nanotube weight ratios far lower than widely used conventional surfactants. The gemini surfactants investigated demonstrated the ability to solubilize a larger amount of SWNTs with respect to the related single‐tailed surfactant at concentrations far lower than their critical micellar concentrations. Their selectivity towards semiconducting SWNTs with large diameters was inferred from radial breathing mode Raman data.