Non-covalent interactions between carbon nanotubes and conjugated polymers

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are interest to many different disciplines including chemistry, physics, biology, material science and engineering because of their unique properties and potential applications in various areas spanning from optoelectronics to biotechnology. However, one of the drawbacks associated with these materials is their insolubility which limits their wide accessibility for many applications. Various approaches have been adopted to circumvent this problem including modification of carbon nanotube surfaces by non-covalent and covalent attachments of solubilizing groups. Covalent approach modification may alter the intrinsic properties of carbon nanotubes and, in turn make them undesirable for many applications. On the other hand, a non-covalent approach helps to improve the solubility of CNTs while preserving their intrinsic properties. Among many non-covalent modifiers of CNTs, conjugated polymers are receiving increasing attention and highly appealing because of a number of reasons. To this end, the aim of this feature article is to review the recent results on the conjugated polymer-based non-covalent functionalization of CNTs with an emphasis on the effect of conjugated polymers in the dispersibility/solubility, optical, thermal and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes as well as their usage in the purification and isolation of a specific single-walled nanotube from the mixture of the various tubes. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011