PEGylation of double-walled carbon nanotubes for increasing their solubility in water

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) functionalized double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) have been synthesized by a [2 + 1] cycloaddition reaction and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and UV-visible spectroscopy. Functionalization affords a large increase in the aqueous solubility of DWNTs. The saturated concentrations of DWNTs functionalized with diazido-terminated PEG(800) (with a molecular weight of 800) and azido-terminated PEG(750) monomethylether (with a molecular weight of 750) are very similar-0.36 and 0.37 mg/mL (DWNTs equivalent concentration), respectively.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000274252300005&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Chemistry, PhysicalNanoscience & NanotechnologyMaterials Science, MultidisciplinaryPhysics, AppliedSCI(E)16ARTICLE2103-109