Covalent and supramolecular polymer chemistry of carbon nanotubes

该项目将涉及一种称为碳纳米管的新型材料表面的聚合物化学的基础研究。 这些新材料完全由碳组成，具有极高的机械强度（重量仅为钢的一小部分），并且可以表现为金属导体或半导体，这取决于其碳原子的排列方式。 然而，由于所产生的纳米管是完全不溶的，使得难以操纵它们并将它们与其它材料混合（即，聚合物）以制备功能复合材料。 该提案的目的是研究混合结构，其中碳纳米管与能够赋予整体材料溶解性、加工性和功能的明确定义的聚合物连接。 这项工作将涉及共价键的形成以及聚合物与碳纳米管的非共价（超分子）相互作用。 这两种官能化方法都很重要，因为前者允许在组分之间形成强键，而后者防止在纳米管结构内引入缺陷，允许保持纳米管导电性和强度性质。 我们将利用我们最近开发的几种纳米管功能化方法，生产能够与其他纳米级结构（量子点）形成更大复合物的混合材料，以及与共轭聚合物的均匀共混物。 这项工作的最终目标是将纳米管纳入传感器，电子传递和发光器件的功能组件中。

This project will involve the fundamental investigation of polymer chemistry on the surface of a new class of materials called carbon nanotubes. These new materials are entirely composed of carbon, exhibit extremely high mechanical strength (five times stronger than steel at a fraction of the weight), and can behave as either metallic conductors or semiconductors, depending on the way their carbon atoms are arranged. However, as produced nanotubes are completely insoluble, making it difficult to manipulate and mix them with other materials (i.e., polymers) to make functional composites. The aim of this proposal is to investigate hybrid structures where carbon nanotubes are linked to well-defined polymers capable of imparting solubility, processability, and function to the overall material. This work will involve the formation of covalent bonds as well as non-covalent (supramolecular) interactions of polymers with carbon nanotubes. Both methods of functionalization are important because, while the former allows strong bonds to be formed between the components, the latter prevents the introduction of defects within the nanotube structure, allowing preservation of nanotube conductivity and strength properties. We will exploit several of our recently developed methods for nanotube functionalization to produce hybrid materials capable of forming larger complexes with other nano-scale structures (quantum dots) as well as homogeneous blends with conjugated polymers. The eventual goal of this work will be to incorporate nanotubes within functional components of sensory, electron transfer, and light emitting devices.