Single-wall carbon nanotubes of precisely defined type and use thereof
First Claim
1. A detection method comprising:
- a) dispersing a plurality of nanotubes in a suspending medium wherein at least some of the nanotubes are individually dispersed and have a coating to prevent association with other nanotubes;
b) exposing the individually-suspended nanotubes to a species, wherein the species interact with the individually-suspended nanotubes in such a manner that electronic properties of the individually-suspended nanotube are altered;
c) irradiating the nanotubes with light that will cause individually-dispersed semiconducting nanotubes to fluoresce in near-infrared radiation; and
d) monitoring the near-infrared fluorescence emitted from the individually-suspended nanotubes, wherein the emitted fluorescence is correlated with an amount of the species interacting with the individually-suspended nanotubes.
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Abstract
The invention relates to macroscopic amounts of (n, m) type single-wall carbon nanotubes and sensing and monitoring devices comprising specific nanotube types. Selected (n, m)-type fractions of single-wall carbon nanotubes are separated from a suspension of mixed single-wall carbon nanotubes are individually dispersed and isolated. The nanotubes are isolated and precluded from reassociating with other nanotubes by encasing the nanotube with a non-perturbing molecular species, such as surfactant molecules or polymers that can wrap around the nanotube. In contrast to metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes, semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes have been found to fluoresce in the near-IR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The nanotubes are very sensitive to environmental perturbations and the nanotube'"'"'s fluorescence profile will be affected by these perturbations. Thus, the nanotubes can be used as sensors for a wide variety of applications, such as gas concentrations and pH, as well as fluorescent tags for biological mapping of malignant cell activity.
148 Citations
63 Claims
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1. A detection method comprising:
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a) dispersing a plurality of nanotubes in a suspending medium wherein at least some of the nanotubes are individually dispersed and have a coating to prevent association with other nanotubes;
b) exposing the individually-suspended nanotubes to a species, wherein the species interact with the individually-suspended nanotubes in such a manner that electronic properties of the individually-suspended nanotube are altered;
c) irradiating the nanotubes with light that will cause individually-dispersed semiconducting nanotubes to fluoresce in near-infrared radiation; and
d) monitoring the near-infrared fluorescence emitted from the individually-suspended nanotubes, wherein the emitted fluorescence is correlated with an amount of the species interacting with the individually-suspended nanotubes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A detector comprising semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes wherein at least one semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotube emits near-infrared fluorescence.
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21. A method for sensing chemical species comprising:
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a) illuminating individually-suspended semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes with a electromagnetic radiation capable of causing the nanotubes to emit near-infrared fluorescence;
b) monitoring the fluorescence of the semiconducting nanotubes;
c) exposing the semiconducting nanotubes to chemical species that affect the fluorescence; and
d) correlating changes in fluorescence from exposure of the semiconducting nanotubes to the chemical species. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method comprising:
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(a) dispersing individual semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes in a media;
(b) chemically linking a bonding moiety to the individual semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotube to form a chemically-linked nanotube, wherein the bonding moiety binds only to specific cells;
(c) coating the chemically-linked nanotube with a biocompatible coating to form a coated, chemically-linked nanotube;
(d) infusing the coated, chemically-linked nanotube into a biological environment containing specific cells, wherein the coated, chemically-linked nanotubes migrate in the biological environment and bind to the specific cells;
(e) illuminating the biological environment with a light source capable of causing the coated, chemically-linked nanotubes to fluoresce;
(f) monitoring the biological environment for fluorescence from the coated, chemically-linked nanotubes; and
(g) mapping the fluorescence throughout biological environment to indicate the location of the specific cells. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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- 45. A sensor comprising a semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotube, wherein the single-wall carbon nanotube emits near-infrared fluorescence at an intensity related to a change in environment.
- 57. A luminescent light source comprising semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes.
Specification