A Triptycene‐Based Approach to Solubilising Carbon Nanotubes and C 60

We describe herein the synthesis of a triptycene‐based surfactant designed with the ability to solubilise single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and C 60 in water through non‐covalent interactions. Furthermore, an amphiphilic naphthalene‐based surfactant with the same ability to solubilise SWNTs and C 60 has also been prepared. The compounds synthesised were designed with either two ionic or non‐ionic tails to ensure a large number of supramolecular interactions with the solvent, thereby promoting strong solubilisation. The surfactants produced stable suspensions in which the SWNTs are dispersed and the surfactant/SWNT complexes formed are stable for more than one year. UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy, TEM and AFM were employed to probe the solubilisation properties of the dispersion of surfactants and SWNTs in water.