A Study of the Interaction between Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Toward Structure−Property Relationships

The interaction between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence quenching as a function of concentration is modeled, revealing regions where the interaction causes a debundling of the carbon nanotubes. The binding energies between PAHs and SWNTs are obtained from the model. It is found that there is a linear correlation between the binding energy of PAHs with SWNTs and the molecular weight of the PAHs. By plotting these values of binding energy against the molecular weight of these PAHs, a good structure−property relationship governing the interaction has been demonstrated.