Single-step extraction of small-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes in the presence of riboflavin

Polina M Kalachikova; Anastasia E Goldt; Eldar M Khabushev; Timofei V Eremin; Timofei S Zatsepin; Elena D Obraztsova; Konstantin V Larionov; Liubov Yu Antipina; Pavel B Sorokin; Albert G Nasibulin

doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.130

Single-step extraction of small-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes in the presence of riboflavin

Beilstein J Nanotechnol. 2022 Dec 22:13:1564-1571. doi: 10.3762/bjnano.13.130. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Polina M Kalachikova^{1

2}, Anastasia E Goldt¹, Eldar M Khabushev^{1

2}, Timofei V Eremin^{3

4}, Timofei S Zatsepin^{1

5}, Elena D Obraztsova^{3

4}, Konstantin V Larionov⁶, Liubov Yu Antipina^{6

7}, Pavel B Sorokin^{6

7}, Albert G Nasibulin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 3 Nobel Street, Moscow, 121205, Russia.
² Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, Kemistintie 1, 02015, Espoo, Finland.
³ A. M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of RAS, 38 Vavilov Street, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
⁴ Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy per., Dolgoprudny, 141701, Russia.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia.
⁶ National University of Science and Technology "MISiS", 4 Leninsky prospect, Moscow, 119049, Russia.
⁷ Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Kosygina st., Moscow, 119334, Russia.

Abstract

We propose a novel approach to disperse and extract small-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using an aqueous solution of riboflavin and Sephacryl gel. The extraction of small-diameter semiconducting SWCNTs was observed, regardless of the initial diameter distribution of the SWCNTs. Dispersion of SWCNTs occurs due to the adsorption of π-conjugated isoalloxazine moieties on the surface of small-diameter nanotubes and interactions between hydroxy groups of ribityl chains with water. During the SWCNT extraction, specific adsorption of riboflavin to SWCNTs leads to the minimization of interactions between the SWCNTs and gel media. Our experimental findings are supported by ab initio calculations demonstrating the impact of the riboflavin wrapping pattern around the SWCNTs on their interaction with the allyl dextran gel.

Keywords: SWCNT extraction; carbon nanotubes; photoluminescence spectroscopy; riboflavin; size exclusive gel chromatography.

Grants and funding

A.G.N and A.E.G thank the Council on grants of the President of the Russian Federation grant number НШ-1330.2022.1.3 and Russian Science Foundation (Project no. 22-13-00436). The theoretical calculations (L.Y.A.) were supported by Russian Science Foundation (Project identifier 21-79-10411). E.D.O. is grateful to RSF (project no. 21-72-20050) for support of photoluminescence investigations.