Copolymer hybrid with CNTs

Blau and co-workers prepared a CNT-polymer hybrid by suspended SWNTs in organic solvents poly (p-phenylenevinylene-co-2,5-dioctyloxy-m-phenylenevinylene) to wrap the copolymer around the CNTs. The electrical properties of these hybrids were improved relative to those of the individual components. A noncovalent method has been used to functionalize SWNTs by encapsulating SWNTs within cross-linked and amphiphilic poly(styrene)-blocfe-poly(actylic add) copolymer micelles (Figure 19). This encapsulation significantly enhanced the dispersion of SWNTs in a wide variety of polar and nonpolar solvents and polymer matrices because the copolymer shell was permanently fixed. Thus, encapsulated SWNTs may be stabilized with respect to typical polymer processing and recovery from the polymer matrix. 

Qin et al. also modified MWNTs with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) to increase the CNTs gene loading, and eventually to improve the transfection performance of CNTs. However, though the MWNT-PAMAM hybrid could deliver the GFP gene into cultured HeLa cells more efficiently than the unmodified CNTs, the efficiency was much lower than Lipofectamine 2000. The surfaces of SWNTs were also functionalized with cationic glycopolymers, and the copolymer modified SWNTs were found to be biocompatible and exhibit transfection efficiencies that are comparable to the commercially available agent Lipofectamine 2000. Various modified CNTs were tested in different cell lines for gene delivery. ... 

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