Well-defined Polymer Composites with Carbon-based Nanostructures

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This project will build on the expertise of the Adronov Research Group in the polymer chemistry of carbon nanotubes to gain a fundamental understanding of polymer-nanotube interactions. Carbon nanotubes are the most widely investigated nano-scale materials in existence, and their market value is projected to exceed $7 billion by 2015. However, they still have several significant limitations that prevent their widespread applicability in commercial products. The focus of the proposed work is to understand how polymers can affect the properties of polymer-carbon nanotube complexes, which have potential widespread applications. The proposed work involves the investigation of non-covalent, or supramolecular interactions between conjugated polymers and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The Adronov Group has previously shown that a number of conjugated polymers bind strongly to the SWNT surface, allowing modulation of the polymer-nanotube composite's properties through variation of the polymer structure. Structures that are soluble in both organic solvents and water have been prepared, and have been shown to be useful in nanotube patterning on surfaces and in the development of biosensors. The present proposal aims to advance this work by investigating the polymer-nanotube interaction in more detail. Methods to measure binding strength and produce polymers able to bind only one specific type of nanotube, out of a mixture, are proposed. Such advances in nanotube purification have the potential to improve the commercial viability of SWNTs. Furthermore, we propose to produce polymers that reversibly bind to nanotubes, such that SWNTs can be purified through polymer interactions in solution, and then released on demand to liberate pristine nanotubes. Several methods to homogeneously distribute SWNTs within polymeric host materials are also proposed, such that new, electrically conductive materials can be developed and used in tactile sensing applications, as well as in next-generation biosensors. All of these projects will drive the advancement of carbon nanotube research toward applications that Canadians can benefit from.