Method for polymer removal from single-walled carbon nanotubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10640381-B2
Application number	US-201715618242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

Processes for selectively dispersing semi-conducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) in a solvent. One process comprises adding an amine either: to a conjugated polymer extraction process (CPE) of the sc-SWCNTs; or after the CPE of the sc-SWCNTs, in which the amine partially displaces the conjugate polymer associated with the sc-SWNTs dispersed in the solvent. Another process comprises adding an amine either: to a conjugated polymer extraction process (CPE) of the sc-SWCNTs; or after the CPE of the sc-SWCNTs, with the proviso that the amine excludes EDTA. Also, a process for displacement of a conjugated polymer from the surface of semi-conducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) dispersed in a solvent, which comprises adding an amine either: to a conjugated polymer extraction process (CPE) of the sc-SWCNTs; or after the CPE of the sc-SWCNTs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for selectively dispersing semi-conducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) in a solvent, the process comprising adding an amine to a supernatant from
a conjugated polymer extraction process (CPE) of the sc-SWCNTs,
wherein the amine partially displaces the conjugate polymer associated with the sc-SWNTs dispersed in the solvent.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein filtration of the sc-SWCNTs dispersed in the solvent takes less time than filtration of dispersed sc-SWNTs prepared by the CPE without the amine.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the amine is a non-functionalized amine.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the amine is an alkylamine.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the amine is triethylamine, ethanol amine or pyridine.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer comprises a polyfluorene.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the polyfluorene is a 9,9-dialkyl-substituted polyfluorene or a 9,9-diC 8-36 -alkyl-substituted polyfluorene.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer comprises a. polythiophene.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the polythiophene is a 3-alkyl-substituted polythiophene or a 3-C 8-18 -alkyl-substituted polythiophene.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer comprises a copolymer of 3-C 10-18 -alkyl-substituted thiophene with one or more comonomer units, the co-monomer comprising one or more of fluorene, bithiophene, phenylene, bipyridine, carbazole, anthracene, naphthalene or benzothiadiazole.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the conjugated polymer has a number average molecular weight greater than about 10,000 Da.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is a non-polar solvent.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises an aromatic organic solvent.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises toluene, benzene, ethyl benzene, xylenes, 10methylnaphtalene or mixtures thereof.

15. A process for selectively dispersing semi-conducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) in a solvent, the process comprising adding an amine to a supernatant from
a conjugated polymer extraction process (CPE) of the sc-SWCNTs,
with the proviso that the amine excludes EDTA.

16. A process for displacement of a conjugated polymer from the surface of semi-conducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) dispersed in a solvent, the process comprising adding an amine to a supernatant from
a cojugated polymer extraction process (CPE) of the sc-SWCNTs.

17. A process for selectively dispersing semi-conducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (sc-SWCNTs) in a solvent, the process comprising adding an amine either:
a) to a conjugated polymer extraction process (CPE) of the sc-SWCNTs; or
b) after the CPE of the sc-SWCNTs
wherein the amine partially displaces the conjugate to polymer associated with the sc-SWNTs dispersed in the solvent, and
wherein the concentration of the amine is from 1 ppm to 0.1% by weight.

Assignees

• Nat Res Council Canada

Inventors

• Ding Jianfu
• Li Zhao
• Malenfant Patrick Roland Lucien

Classifications

• C08F32/08

  having two condensed rings (coumarone-indene polymers C08F244/00) · CPC title

• C07C211/02

  of an acyclic saturated carbon skeleton · CPC title

• C01B32/159 Primary

  single-walled · CPC title

• C07D213/06

  containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms in addition to the ring nitrogen atom · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title