Affinity-mediated sorting order reversal of single-walled carbon nanotubes in density gradient ultracentrifugation

Sorted single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are of paramount importance for their utilization in high-end optoelectronic applications. Sodium cholate (SC)-based density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) has been instrumental in isolating small diameter (dt) SWNTs. Here, we show that SWNTs wrapped by flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as a dispersing agent are sorted in DGU, and show sorting order reversal behavior, departing from prototypical SC-SWNT trends. Larger dt SWNTs are sorted in lower density ( ), and buoyant distribution of FMN-SWNT ranges from 1.15-1.25 g cm−3. Such a nanotube layering pattern originates from both the binding affinity between FMN and SWNT and the less-susceptible hydrated volume of remote phosphate sidechains of FMN according to nanotube dt change.