Effect of gelatin on the water dispersion and centrifugal purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes

We report a convenient and effective procedure for the water dispersion and purification of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The purification procedure involves a combination of dispersion and centrifugation, in which gelatin; an environmentally friendly material is used as a dispersing agent. It has been found that an aqueous solution of gelatin effectively disperses SWNTs for more than a month. Another advantage of using gelatin as a dispersing agent is that it can be easily removed by washing with water and filtration. The centrifugation procedure employs a centrifugal force of about 2500 times the gravitational force to separate the particles. Although carbonaceous and metallic impurities usually have higher density than SWNTs in arc-produced carbon soot, the centrifugation can easily remove impurities leaving undamaged SWNTs in solution when appropriate centrifugal force and a centrifugation time are used. Centrifugation is carried out for three times to sufficiently remove impurities. Finally, the SWNTs are separated from the gelatin by heating in water and filtering.