Efficient dispersion of singlewalled carbon nanotubes by novel amphiphilic dendrimers in water and substitution of the pre-adsorbed dendrimers with conventional surfactants and lipids

A new class of amphiphilic dendrimers, which can be readily adsorbed on the surface of singlewalled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to improve their dispersibility in aqueous medium, were synthesized. The adsorbed dendrimers can be replaced by other amphiphiles, such as sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), and lysophospholipid (LPC 18 : 0).