Carbon Nanotube's Chemistry

What is it about?

The supramolecular structures of organic molecules on planar nanocarbon surfaces such as highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) have been extensively studied and the factors that control them are generally well-established. In contrast, the properties of supramolecular structures on curved nanocarbon surfaces like carbon nanotubes remain challenging to predict and/or to understand. This paper reports an investigation into the first study of the supramolecular structures of 5,15-bisdodecylporphyrin (C12P) on chiral, concentrated single-walled carbon nanotubes (with right-handed helix P- and left-handed helix M-) surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Furthermore, the study is the first of its kind to experimentally assign the absolute handedness chirality of SWNT, as well as to understand their effect on the supramolecular structures of organic molecules on their surfaces. Interestingly, these SWNT enantiomers resulted in opposite chiral supramolecular structures based on the handedness chirality. With molecular modelling, we predicted the absolute handedness chirality of SWNT, before demonstrating this experimentally.

Featured Image

Photo by Terry Vlisidis on Unsplash

Photo by Terry Vlisidis on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The study is the first of its kind to experimentally assign the absolute handedness chirality of SWNT, as well as to understand their effect on the supramolecular structures of organic molecules on their surfaces.

Perspectives