Exploiting the Potential of Carbon Nanotubes and Fullerenes Through their Interaction with Specially Designed π-Conjugated Iptycenes

Abstract

Electronics have become integrated into every aspect of modern life, from work to leisure we rely on electronics for key tasks in our daily routine. Recent research efforts have seen a push towards flexible electronic devices, creating a plethora of new potential applications. Carbon nanomaterials have emerged as excellent candidates for implementation into flexible electronic devices from transistors to solar cells, but despite their high potential, their commercial relevance has been hampered by several key challenges that have yet been unresolved. Here, I exhibit that through the merging of techniques from organic chemistry and nanoscience, I have been able to overcome several of the practical challenges facing both carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. This has been accomplished through the interaction of these carbon nanomaterials with shape complementary iptycene molecules. The concave shape of iptycenes allows them to interact very strongly with the convex carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. This has led us to develop a new technique for the simultaneous alignment and sorting of carbon nanotubes based on diameter and length, as well as the large-scale purification of fullerenes via flash chromatography. Furthermore, in the search for new iptycene derivatives, a new ligand for the formation of metal-organic frameworks has been discovered and studied.