Dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes in an aqueous medium by using a cyclic copolymer

A cyclic copolymer, poly(methoxy-PEG acrylate-co-3-(4-benzoylphenoxy) propyl acrylate), was successfully synthesized by Cu(0)-mediated controlled radical polymerization and Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition “click” chemistry. The self-assembly behaviours of the linear and cyclic copolymers were investigated. Subsequently, the linear and cyclic copolymers were used to disperse the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in an aqueous medium. The results showed that cyclic copolymers could form uniformly stable, spherical morphologies by self-assembly more easily than their linear counterparts under the same conditions. Cyclic copolymers were also found to better disperse SWCNTs, thereby extending the applications of SWCNTs in an aqueous medium.