Summary
Individually dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with the conductivity of metals or semiconductors solely are essential for his or her purposes in electronics, optics and magnetism. On this work, 5 fragrant polyimides with various backbones have been initially utilized to the research on the dispersion of arc-discharge SWNTs. Spectroscopic characterizations by vis-NIR absorption and Raman scattering affirm that the polyimide molecules possess numerous selective dispersing capacity towards semiconducting SWNTs. The efficient dispersion of SWNTs is a results of the spirally wound polyimides round SWNTs dictated by the π-π stacking interactions between the spine of polyimides and the floor of SWNTs, and the selectivity in semiconducting SWNTs is attributable to the cost switch from polyimide molecules to SWNTs. The varied dispersing behaviors of the polyimides towards SWNTs may very well be accounted for by the distinction in fragrant floor space and adaptability of their backbones.