WO2011096974A2

WO2011096974A2 - Apparatus for separating carbon nanotubes

Info

Publication number: WO2011096974A2
Application number: PCT/US2010/056921
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steve R. Lustig
Original assignee: E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company
Priority date: 2009-11-19
Filing date: 2010-11-17
Publication date: 2011-08-11
Also published as: WO2011096974A3

Abstract

The present invention relates an apparatus to separate carbon nanotubes by their electrical conductivity. Known production processes for single-walled carbon nanotubes produce a mixture of nanotubes with metallic and semiconductive electrical conductivities. Some potential applications require one conductivity or the other. The mixture may be undesirable. Carbon nanotubes of varying electrical conductivity may be separated by hybridizing the nanotubes with nucleic acids such as DNA and then passing a dispersion of the hybrids through an electrochemical cell with an electrical potential on the working electrode which absorbs or desorbs nanotubes of a desired electrical conductivity.

Description

TITLE

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING CARBON NANOTUBES Technical Field

This invention relates to an apparatus for

separating a mixture of species, such as a mixture of carbon nanotubes ("CNTs"), suspended in a mobile phase. Cross-Reference To Related Application

Subject matter disclosed herein is disclosed and claimed in copending application

METHOD FOR SEPARATING CARBON NANOTUBES, US PRV S.N. _/ , ,

filed contemporaneously herewith and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

Background

CNTs have been the subject of intense research since their discovery in 1991. CNTs possess unique properties such as small size and electrical conductivity, which make them suitable in a wide range of applications, including use as structural materials in molecular electronics, nanoelectronic components and field emission devices. CNTs may be either single-walled carbon

nanotubes (SWNTs) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes

(MWNTs) , and have diameters in the nanometer range.

Depending on their atomic structure CNTs may have either metallic or semiconductor properties, and these properties, in combination with their small dimensions make them particularly attractive for use in fabrication of nano-scale devices. A major obstacle to

accomplishment of such objective has been the diversity of tube diameters, chiral angles, and aggregation states in nanotube samples obtained from the various preparation methods. Aggregation is particularly problematic because CNTs are essentially highly polarizable, smooth-sided fullerene tubes that readily form parallel bundles or ropes with a large van der Waals binding energy. This bundling perturbs the electronic structure of the tubes, and it confounds various attempts to separate the tubes by size or type or to use them as individual

macromolecular species.

Although there have been many reports on producing suspensions enriched in individual fullerene tubes, including those referenced as follows:

Liu et al, Science 280, 1253 (1998);

O'Connell et al, Chem. Phys . Lett. 342, 265 (2001); Bandow et al, J. Phys. Chem. B 101, 8839 (1997);

Chen et al, Science 282, 95 (1998);

Duesberg et al, Appl . Phys. A 67, 117 (1998);

Dalton et al, J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 10012 (2000);

Dalton et al, Synth. Metals 121, 1217 (2001);

Bandyopadhyaya et al, Nano Lett. 2, 25 (2002);

available samples are typically still dominated by small nanotube bundles. O'Connell et al [Science 297, 593 (2002)] have described a method of tube separation based on vigorous treatment with a sonicator followed by centrifugation, primarily yielding individual fullerene nanotubes in aqueous micellar suspensions. Also

described are processes (O'Connell et al, Chem. Phys. Lett., 342, 265, 2001; and WO 02/076888) for the

solubilization of carbon nanotubes in water by

association with selected polymers, although different polymers produced differing degrees of success.

Once CNTs are in a dispersed form suitable for further manipulation, a desirable next step is self- assembly of the nanotubes on a solid substrate. Associating oligonucleotides to CNTs would allow one to use biomolecular techniques for the positioning of the nanotubes on a substrate. Williams et al (AIP Conf.

Proc. 663, 444, 2002) have covalently coupled peptide nucleic acid oligomers to CNTs and then hybridized this construct to DNA. However, DNA was not directly attached to the nanotubes, nor was dispersion of nanotube bundles observed .

Zheng et al (US 2004/0132072) disclose a method separating CNTs of varying electrical conductivity by hybridizing the CNTs with DNA and passing the hybrids through a liquid chromatography column which is exposed to a solution with a varying concentration of a salt.

It was observed in Zheng that DNA forms stable hybrids with SWNTs, and that ion-exchange chromatography could be used to separate the hybrids based on the chirality of the SWNTs within the hybrids. This provided a way to separate SWNTs according to their chirality. This ion-exchange chromatography method requires the use of an ion-exchange chromatography column and a

concentrated salt solution to make the separation. The yield of this method, particularly for long hybrids (on the order of near microns in length) may, however, be adversely affected because long hybrids tend to get trapped within the ion exchange chromatography column. Since DNA is very expensive, loss of SWNTs and the surrounding DNA is not desirable. The separated elutions of hybrids are also contaminated with a concentrated salt solution, and further purification steps are thus

required.

Known production processes for single-walled carbon nanotuves produce a mixture of nanotube chiralities having different metallic and semiconductive electrical bandgaps, conductivities and diameters. Some potential applications require one conductivity or another,

alternatively one bandgap or another, and/or

alternatively one diameter or another. A mixture of nanotubes may thus be undesirable.

A need thus remains for methods and apparatus for the facile, high-yield and inexpensive separation of bundled carbon nanotubes, which will enhance their ready and economical use in the fabrication of nano-scale devices, sensors and other applications.

Summary

The present invention relates to an apparatus for separating a mixture of species, such as nucleic-acid- hybridized carbon nanotubes, dispersed in a mobile phase, at least some of the species having different electrical properties. The apparatus comprises:

an electrochemical cell having an interior volume therein;

a delivery device for introducing a mobile phase having a mixture of species dispersed therein into the interior volume of the electrochemical cell ;

the electrochemical cell having at least a first working electrode and a reference electrode both projecting into the interior volume, both the working electrode and the reference electrode being positioned in the cell to contact a mobile phase; an electrical source connected to the working electrode, the source being operable alternatively to impose on the working electrode at least a first predetermined voltage referenced with respect to the reference electrode

sufficient to cause some of the species in the dispersion to adsorb onto the working electrode and, thereafter,

to impose on the working electrode at least a second predetermined voltage also referenced with respect to the reference electrode sufficient to cause some of the adsorbed species to desorb from the working electrode and into the mobile phase. The electrical source is preferably implemented using a potentiostat . The electrical source provides the charge needed to separate the various species at a working electrode using a counter electrode. The term "predetermined voltage", as used herein, means that the electrical source is able to be adjusted and modifiable to specify the actual value of the voltage of the working electrode (as opposed to the specification of a

predetermined voltage difference between two electrodes) . This invention also relates to a method for

dispersing a population of bundled carbon nanotubes that involves contacting the bundled nanotubes with a

stabilized solution of nucleic acid molecules. It has been found that nucleic acids are very effective in dispersing the nanotubes, and forming nanotube-nucleic acid complexes based on non-covalent interactions between the nanotube and the nucleic acid molecule.

This invention, in both its method and apparatus aspects, also relates to the separation of individual species from a mixture of species suspended in a mobile phase. The method and apparatus are particularly useful since a major obstacle to the manipulation and use of carbon nanotubes as structural materials has been their poor solubility and their tendency to aggregate in bundles or clusters.

In particular, carbon nanotubes of varying

electrical conductivity or bandgap or diameter may be separated by hybridizing the nanotubes with DNA and then passing a dispersion of the hybrids through an

electrochemical cell with an electrical potential on the working electrode that adsorbs or desorbs nanotubes and allows by-pass of nanotubes of a selected electrical conductivity, bandgap or diameter.

The method and apparatus of the present invention not only separates metallic from semiconducting CNTs, but also separates semiconducting CNTs according to the varying chiralities thereof. This is important because various chiralities of semiconducting CNTs differ

significantly by their electronic bandgap. Other

processes that separate metallic from semiconducting types of CNTs are not able to separate the semiconducting CNTs by bandgap, which further differentiates their electronic properties as that relates to their desired use. The method and apparatus of the present invention also separates metallic CNTs of differing diameter.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of one version of an electrochemical cell suitable for use in this

invention .

Detailed Description

Various embodiments of this invention provide methods and apparatus for separating a mixture individual species from a mixture of species carried in a mobile phase. In various embodiments, the species, such as CNT's, that are separated may be separated according to differences among them of conductivity and/or chirality. The methods of this invention may be performed by use of the apparatus of this invention, and the apparatus of this invention may perform methods of separation

including those of this invention.

There are provided for use herein hybrids of CNTs and nucleic acid molecules. A CNT suitable for use herein to form a hybrid is generally a hollow article composed primarily of carbon atoms that has a narrow dimension (essentially its diameter) about 0.5 to about 10 nm, or about 1 to about 2 nm, and a length such that the ratio of the length dimension to the narrow

dimension, i.e. the aspect ratio, is at least about 5. In general, the aspect ratio is between about 10 and about 2000. The CNTs are comprised primarily of carbon atoms but may be doped with other elements such as various metals.

As noted above, the CNTs can be either SWNTs or MWNTs. A MWNT includes, for example, several concentric tubular layers each having a different diameter. The smallest diameter tube is thus encapsulated by a larger diameter tube, which in turn is encapsulated by another larger diameter tube. A SWNT, on the other hand, includes only one tube. A CNT may be classified

according to its chirality, which is defined by a vector (m,n), wherein the components m, n are integers and refer to the atomic pattern of carbons in the nanotube . CNTs as used herein may include a mixture of conducting nanotubes and semiconducting nanotubes, or a mixture of conducting nanotubes, or a mixture of semiconducting nanotubes. These mixtures may exhibit a range of chiralities and conductivities.

CNTs suitable for use herein may be produced by a variety of methods, and are additionally commercially available. Methods of CNT synthesis include laser vaporization of graphite [Thess et al, Science 273, 483

(1996) ]; arc discharge [ Journet et al, Nature 388, 756

(1997) ]; and the HiPCo (high pressure carbon monoxide) process [Nikolaev et al, Chem. Phys . Lett. 313, 91-97 (1999)] . Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) can also be used in producing carbon nanotubes [Kong et al, Chem. Phys. Lett. 292, 567-574 (1998); Kong et al, Nature 395, 8788-879 (1998); Cassell et al, J. Phys. Chem. 103, 64844-6492 (1999); and Dai et al, J. Phys. Chem. 103, 11246-11255 (1999) ] .

CNTs may additionally be grown via catalytic

processes both in solution and on solid substrates [Yan Li et al, Chem. Mater., 2001; 13(3) 1008-1014; Franklin et al, Adv. Mater. 12, 890 (2000); and Cassell et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121, 7975-7976 (1999)]. CNTs made by the HiPCO process, either purified or unpurified, may be purchased from CNI (Houston, Texas) .

CNTs are dispersed in a mobile phase by forming hybrids of CNTs and nucleic acid molecules, and the dispersion of bundled CNTs is thus obtained by contacting them with a stabilized solution of nucleic acid

molecules. A hybrid as formed herein is a nanotube- nucleic acid complex, which is a composition that

includes a CNT loosely associated with at least one nucleic acid molecule. Typically the association between the nanotube and the nucleic acid molecule is by van der Waals bonds or some other non-covalent means.

A nucleic acid molecule is a polymer of RNA, DNA or peptide nucleic acid (PNA) that is single- or double- stranded, optionally containing synthetic, non-natural or altered nucleotide bases. A nucleic acid molecule in the form of a polymer of DNA may be composed, for example, of one or more segments of cDNA, genomic DNA or synthetic DNA. A peptide nucleic acid is a material having stretches of nucleic acid polymers linked together by peptide linkers. Peptide nucleic acids (PNA) possess the double functionality of both nucleic acids and peptides.

A stabilized solution of nucleic acid molecules as used to form hybrids is a solution of nucleic acid molecules that are solubilized and in a relaxed secondary conformation. A mobile phase in which hybrids reside is a fluid that carries dispersed carbon nanotubes, nucleic acid molecules and hybrids formed therefrom, and is flowable through an apparatus of this invention and is flowable for the purpose of performing the methods of this invention. A mobile phase may be an aqueous fluid or may be pure water. The mobile phase can also contain adjuvants, which may be added thereto in the formation of a one-time mixture, or may be added continuously or in time-dependent concentrations. Useful adjuvants include surfactants, sugars, salts, soluble organic compounds, buffers, and tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane . The mobile phase may alternatively be comprised of water containing ions, ionic liquids, conducting liquids, semiconducting liquid, or mixtures thereof.

Nucleic acid molecules suitable for use for forming hybrids may be of any type and from any source and include but are not limited to DNA, RNA and peptide nucleic acids. The nucleic acid molecules may be either single stranded or double stranded and may optionally be functionalized at any point with a variety of reactive groups, ligands or agents. The nucleic acid molecules may be generated by synthetic means or may be isolated from nature by protocols known from sources such as

Sambrook, Fritsch and Maniatis, Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (1989)

(hereinafter "Sambrook") ; Silhavy, Bennan and Enquist, Experiments with Gene Fusions, Cold Spring Harbor

Laboratory Cold Press Spring Harbor, NY (1984); and Ausubel et al, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, published by Greene Publishing Assoc. and Wiley- Interscience (1987) . Methods for the synthesis and use of PNAs are known from sources such as Antsypovitch,

Peptide nucleic acids: Structure, Russian Chemical

Reviews (2002), 71(1), 71-83.

Functionalization of the nucleic acid molecules used herein is typically not necessary for their association with CNTs to disperse the CNTs and form hybrids.

Functionalization may, however, be of interest after the CNTs have been dispersed and it is desired to bind other moieties to the nucleic acid or immobilize a hybrid formed from a CNT-nucleic acid complex to a surface through various functionalized elements of the nucleic acid. The nucleic acids that are used for dispersion thus typically lack functional groups and are referred to herein as "unfunctionalized" .

The nucleic acid molecules of the invention may have any composition of bases and may even consist of

stretches of the same base (polyadenosine or

polythyamine, for example) without impairing the ability of the nucleic acid molecule to disperse bundled CNTs. The nucleic acid molecules may have less than about 2000 bases, or less than 1000 bases, or have from about 5 bases to about 1000 bases. Generally the ability of nucleic acids to disperse CNTs appears to be independent of sequence or base composition. In certain embodiments, however, a lower amount of G-C and T-A base-pairing interactions in a sequence may provide higher dispersion efficiency, or RNA and varieties thereof may be

particularly effective in dispersion.

In addition to the combinations listed above, any of these sequences may have one or more deoxyribonucleotides replaced by ribonucleotides (i.e. RNA or RNA/DNA hybrid) or one or more sugar-phosphate linkages replaced by peptide bonds (i.e. PNA or PNA/RNA/DNA hybrid).

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) oligonucleotides may be obtained from Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc.

(Coralville IA) , and yeast tRNA may be obtained from

Sigma (St. Louis MO). RNA homopolymers poly (A) , poly (C) and poly (U) were purchased from Amersham Biosciences (Piscataway NJ) . The letters "A", "G", "T", "C" when referred to in the context of nucleic acids will mean the purine bases adenine (C5H5N5) and guanine (C5H5N5O) and the pyrimidine bases thymine (C^Hg^C^) and cytosine

(C4H5N3O) , respectively.

Hybrids of CNTs and nucleic acid molecules may be obtained, for example, from a preparation such as the following: 10 mg of CNTs were suspended in 10 mL of 1XSSC buffer (0.15M NaCl and 0.015M sodium citrate), and then sonicated for 2 minutes with a TORBEO 130-Watt Ultrasonic Processor from Cole-Parmer Instrument Company (Vernon

Hills IL) . Nucleic acids were dissolved in H2O to give a final concentration of 10 mg/ mL . 50 μL of the CNT suspension and 5 μL of 10 mg/mL nucleic acid solution were added to 200 μL of H2O to give a final volume of 255 μL . The mixture was sonicated for 3 minutes, followed by 90 minutes of centrifugation at 16,000 g with a Biofuge Fresco from Kendro Laoratory Products (Newtown CT) . The supernatant was then removed for spectroscopic

measurement. Absorption spectra from 400 nm to 900 nm were recorded using an Ultrospec 3300 UV-Vis

spectrophotometer from Amersham Biosciences (Piscataway NJ) . The 730 nm peak was taken as a measure of the yield of the dispersion process.

One embodiment of an apparatus of this invention, which is also an embodiment of an apparatus suitable for performing a method of this invention, is shown in Figure 1. The apparatus shown in Figure 1 includes a mobile phase reservoir (1), which is attached by tubing to a pump (2) . The pump (2) is in turn attached by tubing to an injector (4) such as an Agilent 1100 series HPLC.

Also attached to the injector (4) by tubing is a sample reservoir (3) from which sample may be withdrawn and transported to the injector (4).

The injector (4) is connected by tubing to an electrochemical cell (5) . The injector (4) together with the pump (2) serve to insert an aliquot of sample into a flowing stream of mobile phase fluid and deliver that mixture to the electrochemical cell (5) . The

electrochemical cell (5) has an interior volume into which projects at least one flat glass slide that serves as the working electrode (7) . The working electrode can be plated with a conductive metal such as gold. The working electrode can also be a vibrating quartz crystal microbalance, which, in such embodiment, permits

monitoring the weight of adsorbed and desorbed hybrids in real time for optimizing separations of hybrids

In addition to at least one working electrode (7), the electrochemical cell (5) further includes a reference electrode (6) and a counter electrode (8), both of which project into the interior volume of the cell and which are in contact with the flowing mobile phase. The electrochemical cell is macroscopically large and

presents a non-tortuous flow path through its interior volume such that large hybrids may readily flow through it without becoming permanently entangled or entrapped in the same manner as might occur in a chromatography column filled with dense packing.

All three electrodes are all connected to an electrical source, such as a potentiostat (9), which supplies an electrical potential at its terminal "W" to the working electrode (7) . As shown in Figure 1 the potentiostat (9) is also connected, via terminals "R" and "C", to the reference and counter electrodes (6) and (7), respectively. The electrochemical cell (5) is connected by tubing to an analytical monitor (10) that can detect and/or measure optical, chemical and/or electrical properties of the fluid flow. Examples of a suitable analytical device include a diode array detector, a refractive index detector, a thermal conductivity

detector, a fluorescence detector, a mass spectrometer detector, a UV detector, a VIS detector, and a UV/VIS detector. Fluid may be transported through the tubing from the cell (5) to the analytical monitor (10) .

Mobile phase fluid containing a sample of hybrids is delivered to and flowed through the apparatus by the action of the pump (2) and the injector (4) . Mobile phase fluid is fed from reservoir (1) and is passed from the pump through tubing that is connected to the

injector, and a sample of hybrids and fluid is inserted from sample container (3) by the injector (4) into the tubing and is passed on to the cell (5) . As the hybrids are negatively charged, they adsorb on the positively charged anode, which is the working electrode (7) . As the potential on the working electrode is changed, hybrids are desorbed from the working electrode, and they are thereafter detected in the flowing mobile phase using the analytical monitor. As the hybrids exit the

analytical monitor, they are separated in different fractions by a fractionator as a collection device (11) .

Various different coatings are suitable for use on the working electrode, examples of which include metallic coatings such as gold, iron, platinum, copper or aluminum. The coatings may also be insulating materials such as polymer (s), alumina or other metal oxides, proteins, nucleic acids, and glass or other ceramics. The coatings may also be semiconductors such as mixtures formed from elements such as gallium, arsenic, germanium, indium and tin.

It lies within the contemplation of the present invention to dispose one or more additional working electrode (s) that project into the interior volume of the cell. Each additional working electrode is connected to an electrical source whereby the voltage on the

additional working electrode, as referenced with respect to the reference electrode, may be independently

controlled and modified.

All three electrodes as illustrated in Figure 1 are connected to a potentiostat (9), such as may be obtained from Applied Princeton Research (Princeton, NJ) , which makes it possible to control and vary the electrochemical potential on the working electrode. At the time of sample injection, the working electrode (7) potential may, for example, be set to a charge that is opposite the charge of the hybrid, which would typically result in a potential at the working electrode of about +0.9V. The hybrids, which are negatively charged at multiple sites (i.e. polyanionic) , are consequently attracted to and adsorbed on the surface of the working electrode.

Although the electrochemical cell (5) may not adsorb all hybrids flowing through it, those that pass through the cell and are not adsorbed are recovered as they exit the analytical monitor and flow into the fractionator (11) .

Hybrids that are adsorbed on the surface of the working electrode (7) are differentially released

therefrom as the potential on the working electrode is varied, which variation typically ranges from about +0.9V to about -0.9V. The electrical potential on the working electrode may be changed in any convenient time-varying manner. For example, the electrical potential may be changed in discrete steps or be continuously ramped.

The highest conductivity hybrids develop the lowest magnitude of negative charge, are the least strongly attracted to and adsorbed on the working electrode, and are thus the first to desorb from the working electrode as the magnitude of the positive charge on the working electrode is reduced.

As seen from the foregoing, the electrical source is operable alternatively

to impose on the working electrode at least a first predetermined voltage referenced with respect to the reference electrode

to impose on the working electrode at least a second predetermined voltage also referenced with respect to the reference electrode sufficient to cause some of the adsorbed species to desorb from the working electrode and into the mobile phase.

The counter electrode also electrically contacts a mobile phase being pumped through the cell and is

operable to inject an electric current into the mobile phase to maintain the voltage imposed on the working electrode substantially constant.

In an alternative embodiment, the working electrode may be given a negative charge, which will attract cations of various salt species present in the mobile phase. The negatively charged hybrids are then attracted to the cations bound to the negatively-charged working electrode, creating a double-layer effect on the working electrode .

Hybrids may also be formed by the binding of

polycations to the carbon nanotubes. In such embodiment, similar separation strategies corresponding to those describe above apply for binding positively charged hybrids to a negatively-charged working electrode, or to a positively-charged working electrode with bound anions from the mobile phase.

In an alternative embodiment, of the method hereof, the flow rate of the mobile phase in the flow cell 5 may be varied. This can be done by varying the speed of the pump (2) . The flow rates may range from 1 to 10,000 micro-liters per minute. The preferred range of flow rate is 25 to 300 micro-liters per minute.

In a further alternative embodiment of the method hereof, the composition of the mobile phase in the flow cell 5 may be varied. This can be done by adding salts or other adjuvants as described above to the mobile phase. The addition of the salts or other adjuvants may be step-wise, pulsed, or ramped.

In a yet further alternative embodiment of the method hereof, the temperature of the working electrode 7 in the flow cell 5 may be varied. This can be done by heating or cooling the working electrode 7 by, for example, a convection oven, a thermo-electric device, by radiation, or a heating coil. The temperature may range from 5 to 95 degrees centigrade. The preferred range of temperature is 15 to 40 degrees centigrade.

The methods hereof further involve collecting hybrids with the mobile phase. The hybrids are contained in the mobile phase which passes the working electrode at any given potential. The hybrids may be isolated from the mobile phase on a collection device (11) by evaporation of the fluid or filtration. For the purpose of the Examples, the hybrids in the mobile phase are analyzed in a diode array detector (10) to determine the adsorption peak wavelength, which is in turn related to the conductivity of the hybrids. The collection device (11) used herein may, for example, be a fractionator that deposit is selected portions of the flow of mobile phase passing out of the analytical monitor separately by connecting the tubing through which the flow is passing to a robotically controlled arm, where the arm is moved over a series of open vials and stops over a selected vial to deposit the flow of mobile phase therein until instructed to move to another vial according to a signal related to the passage of time, a change in the voltage applied to the working electrode, or to a change in the output of the analytical monitor.

Once collected, the hybrids may be either

immobilized on a solid substrate or rationally associated with other complexes in a process of nano-device

fabrication.

For example, where the nucleic acid molecule has been functionalized with a first member of a binding pair, it may be immobilized on a solid support containing a second member of the binding pair such that the nucleic acid is deposited on the solid support. Solid supports suitable for such purposes are common and well known in the art and include but are not limited to, silicon wafers, synthetic polymer supports, such as polystyrene, polypropylene, polyglycidylmethacrylate, substituted polystyrene (e.g., aminated or carboxylated polystyrene; polyacrylamides ; polyamides; polyvinylchlorides , etc.), glass, agarose, nitrocellulose, nylon, nickel grids or disks, silicon wafers, carbon supports, aminosilane- treated silica, polylysine coated glass, mica, and semiconductors such as Si, Ge, and GaAs . Method for incorporating binding pair members onto the surface of solid supports is also and advanced art (see for example, Immobilized Enzymes, Inchiro Chibata, Halsted Press, New York (1978) and Cuatrecasas, J. Bio. Chem., 245: 3059 (1970) ) .

Preferred binding pairs for immobilization of the present complexes are biotin/streptavidin or

biotin/avidin .

Alternatively it will be possible to immobilize the complexes of the invention by direct interaction between nucleic acid molecules. For example, nucleic acid

molecules in the dispersion sample may be chosen or designed to incorporate a specific hybridization domain that will hybridize with a specific complementary

sequence. Nucleic acids having the complement sequence to the hybridization domain may be placed on the surface of the support and the complex captured by hybridization. Immobilization of nucleic acids to a solid support is common and well known in the art and may be accomplished for example using ultraviolet irradiation, baking, capillary transfer or vacuum transfer. Examples of nucleic acid immobilization on nitrocellulose and other suitable supports are given in Kalachikov, S. M., et al . , Bioorg. Khim., 18, 52, (1992) and Nierzwicki-Bauer, et al., Biotechiques, 9, 472, (1990).

It will be appreciated by the person of skill in the art that the above mentioned interactions that enable the immobilization of the complexes of the invention may be equally employed to associate individual complexes with other complexes in a specific fashion. For example, a biotin containing complex may associate with a

streptavidin containing complex or the hybridization domain of one nucleic acid molecule may be designed to bind to a similar domain on another complex. In this fashion complexes may be rationally associated or immobilized to facilitate device fabrication.

The present invention can be used to supply CNTs with a homogenous set of electronic properties for applications which depend on components having

predictable, homogenous electronic properties. Such applications include: sensors, field-emitting displays, transistors, etc.

Examples

The single wall carbon nanotubes used here were made by the HiPCO process, either purified or unpurified, and were purchased from CNI (Houston, Texas) . The materials were used as received without further modification.

DNA Dispersion of Nanotubes:

To produce a dispersion of hybrids 1 mg of

nanotubes, produced via the HiPCO process was suspended in 1ml aqueous DNA solution ( lmg/ml-ssDNA, 0.1 NaCl) . The mixture was kept in an ice-water bath and sonicated

(Sonics, VC130 PB) for 90 min at a power level of 3W.

After sonication, the samples were divided into 0.1ml aliquots, and centrifuged (Eppendorf5415C) for 90 min at 16,000G to remove insoluble material leaving DNA- dispersed nanotube solutions at a mass concentration in the range of 0.2 to 0.4mg/ml. The solution was then diluted by a factor of 50. Working Electrode Substrates:

Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) wafers were purchased from SPI Supplies. Gold coated substrates were created on microscope slides via e-beam deposition of a 5nm titanium binder layer followed by 50nm layer of gold at a deposition rate of 0.7 to 1.5 Angstroms/second. Flow Cell:

All experiments were done using an acrylic flow cell purchased from ICMFG modified to include a reference electrode. A platinum counter electrode is mounted at the flow cell top and an Ag/AgCl reference electrode is mounted along the outflow line. Figure 1 shows the basic schematic. The reference electrode is threaded and thus holds a tight seal when an O-ring is added to the base of the threads. The counter electrode is held in by a mounted plate and sealed tightly with O-rings . The counter electrode protruded barely past the top entrance of the flow cell.

Additional Equipment:

An HPLC (Series 1100, Agilent) accurately controlled the flow rate, pressure, and concentrations of all materials going through the flow cell. The diode array detector has a detection range of 190 - 950 nm range and was used to monitor the SWCNT absorption peaks as they moved through the system. A potentiostat (Princeton Applied Research model 283) was used to control the surface electrical potential on the metallic wafer working electrode relative to the reference electrode.

The sample materials within the flow cell may either become captured and released or simply flow free of capture by the active working electrode. All materials can be collected by a fractionator based on the DAD signal. This collected material can then be recycled into the injection sample to iteratively change the starting SWCNT population in a new injection.

The Diode Array Detector is used to determine the chirality or group of chiralities being ejected from the flow cell. Every SWCNT chirality has a well-defined optical signature detected in the detector. Any

deviation in the ratio of the observed detected peaks is must be due to a physical change in the ratio of

constituent SWCNTs present. Therefore as long as the signal/noise ratio is high, changing in the relative peak heights is a clear sign of enrichment.

Methods :

Surface Preparation:

Gold coated wafers were cleaned stepwise by soaking in isopropyl alcohol, rinsing with 18.3 MegaOhm water, soaking for 10 minutes in Piranha solution (a 60:40 mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide), then rinsed again with 18.3 MegaOhm water. ITO wafers were only cleaned by rinsing in isopropyl alcohol and rinsing in 18.3 MegaOhm water to prevent etching and/or destruction of the surface by an acid. Standard Experimental Protocol:

In the following examples 5 ]i of ssDNA/SWCNT hybrid mixture solution was injected into the flow line of 18.3 MegaOhm water mobile phase as the surface potential at the working electrode is held at the trapping voltage. Then the working voltage was either stepped, ramped or switched to the releasing voltage profile as indicated in the specific examples below. After the experiment is over, a cleaning cycle is run to eject any remaining materials off the surface and prepare for the subsequent experiments. A cleaning cycle involves rapidly changing the potential between -900 mV and 900 mV over 30 seconds while increasing the flow rate to 100-300 μΐΐι/ιηίη to quickly whisk the materials away. The entire process (experiment and clean cycle) runs about 12 minutes. Data Analysis:

The spectra recorded by the diode array detector characterize the concentrations of the various hybrid chiralities passing through the detector at different times during the experiment. These data measure the relative amounts of a given hybrid chirality that either bypass the flow cell, i.e. were not initially trapped at the working electrode after injection, or become trapped and eventually released at the working electrode after injection. A given hybrid chirality has its unique absorption at a wavelength, λ. Therefore the release ratio, ¾ , is defined for each characteristic hybrid absorption wavelength as the ratio of the quantity which is both trapped and released at the working electrode at time ti to the quantity which bypasses the working electrode at an earlier time to.

^Rx_M = [Release _A ] /[Bypass^ ]

Since the hybrid extinction coefficient is invariant to these two populations of the same hybrid chirality, the ratio of the spectral absorbances is exactly equal to the ratio of the actual molar concentrations. The enrichment factor, E_{X t t} , is defined for each characteristic hybrid absorption wavelength as the release ratio for a given release time ti and bypass time t₀ divided by the smallest observed release ratio for the same times over the entire population of hybrids present in the sample.

Since the release ratio measures the exact ratio of molar concentrations released by the working electrode and bypassing the electrode, the enrichment factor indicates how well the trap-bypass process purifies any single hybrid chirality population relative to all other hybrid populations present in the sample. An enrichment ratio value of unity indicates no enrichment of a given hybrid chirality occurs since all hybrid populations were trapped and released at the same relative concentrations at the times of measurement. However when a process separates one hybrid chirality in the mixture by the trap-release mechanism, this hybrid enrichment factor will exceed unity. The enrichment factor grows larger from unity the greater the separation and purification of this given hybrid from the mixture. The trap-release process can be repeated any number of times desired for any enriched fraction of hybrids with negligible loss of material using the injector, flow cell and fractionator . The purity, P_{Xt t} , expressed as a mole fraction obtained by repeating the enrichment N-times is given simply by

where

f hybrid absorbing at characteristic wavelength λ. Therefore a desired level of purity can be obtained from a separation process having an enrichment factor greater than unity by

fractionating aliquots of eluant at different times and repeating the enrichment. Furthermore fractions from different separation conditions may be repeated to isolate any desired hybrid chirality once an enrichment condition has been discovered for the desired hybrid chirality .

EXAMPLES 1-6:

In Examples 1-6 all experimental conditions were the same as described above, except where noted in the following table.

The following enrichment factors were noted for each SWNT chirality (m,n) absorbing at wavelength, λ, and each Example #l-#6

Enrichment Factors r Ε_λ

(m, n) λ, nm #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6

8,2 406 1 .402 1 .000 1 .000 1 .000 1 .150 1 .115

7,4 460 1 .000 1 .085 1 .166 1 .067 1 .081 1 .062

9,3 510 1 .854 1 .149 1 .248 1 .104 1 .031 1 .008

6,4 570 2 .195 1 .170 1 .167 1 .030 1 .044 1 .008

6,5 574 2 .220 1 .170 1 .153 1 .037 1 .050 1 .015

8,4 589 2 .244 1 .170 1 .247 1 .022 1 .050 1 .023

7, 6 648 2 .427 1 .128 1 .220 1 .096 1 .025 1 .008

7,5 654 2 .500 1 .106 1 .074 1 .015 1 .125 1 .085

8,3 670 2 .451 1 .170 1 .288 1 .030 1 .031 1 .008

9,1 680 2 .427 1 .170 1 .313 1 .022 1 .013 1 .000

8,7 712 2 .427 1 .149 1 .352 1 .044 1 .000 1 .000

Example 7 (Prophetic) :

Metallic-type SWNTs (8,2), (7,4) and (9,3) are separated from Semiconducting-type SWNTs (6,4), (6,5), (8,4), (7,6), (7,5), (8,3), (9,1), (8,7) from their initial mixture. The initial mixture is subject to adsorbing-desorbing conditions in Example 1. The by^¬ passed fraction is collected first in one vial and found to be enriched in the metallic SWNTs. The released fraction is collected next in a second vial and found to be enriched in the semiconducting SWNTs. The contents of the initial first vial fraction is again subject to trap- release conditions in Example 1 and the bypassed fraction is collected in one vial and found to be enriched in the metallic SWNTs and the released fraction is collected in a second vial and found to be enriched in the

semiconducting SWNTs. The contents of the initial second vial fraction is again subject to adsorbing-desorbing conditions in Example 1 and the bypassed fraction is collected in one vial and found to be enriched in the metallic SWNTs and the released fraction is collected in a second vial and found to be enriched in the

semiconducting SWNTs.

Now all fractions enriched in metallic SWNTs are combined into a first generation metallic-enriched vial and all fractions enriched in semiconductiong SWNTs are combined into a first generation semiconducting-enriched vial. The first generation metallic-enriched vial population is now again subject to the trap-release conditions in Example 1 and the metallic enriched

fraction and the semiconducting enriched fraction are separated into second generation vials. The first generation semiconducting-enriched vial population is now again subject to the adsorbing-desorbing conditions in Example 1 and the metallic enriched fraction and the semiconducting enriched fraction are separated into second generation vials.

This process is repeated with the second generation metallic-enriched fraction and the second generation semiconducting-enriched fraction to form a third

generation metallic enriched fraction and a third

generation semiconducting enriched fraction. The process is repeated until the sixth generation where the metallic fraction is sensibly free of semiconducting SWNTs and the semiconducting fraction is sensibly free of metallic SWNTs .

Example 8 (Prophetic)

The Semiconducting fraction from Example 7 is now subject to the separation conditions described in Example 6 and the bypass fraction is found to be enriched in (6,4), (6,5), (7,6), (8,3), (9,1) and (8,7) SWNTs while the released fraction is found to be enriched in (8,4) and (7,5) SWNTs. Both fractions are repeatedly enriched using the conditions in Example 6 for ten generations of enrichments until the tenth generation released fraction contains sensibly only (8,4) and (7,5) SWNTs. This fraction is now separated using the conditions described in Example 5, wherein the bypassed fraction is enriched in (8,4) SWNTs and the released fraction is enriched in (7,5) SWNTs. Both fractions are repeated enriched using the conditions in Example 6 for fifteen generations of enrichments until the fifteenth generation released fraction is sensibly pure in (7,5) SWNTs and the

fifteenth generation bypass fraction is sensibly pure in (8,4) SWNTs.

An apparatus of this invention is suitable to perform a method of partitioning a population of charged species, such as carbon nanotubes, that involves (a) dispersing the charged species in a liquid, (b)

contacting the liquid with an electrode that is

characterized by a voltage selected to attract and adsorb to the electrode a portion of the species contained in the liquid, (c) adjusting the voltage applied to the electrode to desorb the adsorbed portion of the species, and (d) extracting the desorbed portion of the species from the population.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. Apparatus for separating a mixture of species dispersed in a mobile phase, at least some of the species having different electrical properties, the apparatus comprising :

an electrochemical cell having an interior volume therein;

a delivery device for introducing a mobile phase having a mixture of species dispersed therein into the interior volume of the electrochemical cell;

the electrochemical cell having at least a first working electrode and a reference electrode both

projecting into the interior volume, both the working electrode and the reference electrode being positioned in the cell to contact a mobile phase;

an electrical source connected to the working electrode, the source being operable alternatively

to impose on the working electrode at least a first predetermined voltage referenced with respect to the reference electrode sufficient to cause some of the species in the dispersion to adsorb onto the working electrode and, thereafter,

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the

electrochemical cell has an inlet port and an outlet port, and wherein the delivery device comprises:

a pump for pumping a mobile phase having a mixture of species dispersed therein at a predetermined flow rate through the interior volume of the electrochemical cell; the interior volume of the cell presents a non- tortuous path through the interior volume of the

electrochemical cell to the flow of a mobile phase and species dispersed therein.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the

electrochemical cell further comprises:

a collector for collecting the species desorbed from the working electrode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the

electrochemical cell further comprises:

a counter electrode projecting into the interior volume and being positioned to electrically contact a mobile phase being pumped through the cell,

the counter electrode being operable to inject an electric current into the mobile phase to maintain the voltage imposed on the working electrode substantially constant .

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the working electrode, the reference electrode and the counter electrode are implemented and controlled using a

potentiostat .

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrical source is operable to impose the first and second voltages on the working electrode in accordance with a predetermined time-varying pattern.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pump is operable to pump a mobile phase through the cell at any of a plurality of flow rates.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the working electrode has a metallic surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the working electrode has a surface formed of an electrically insulating material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a heater for heating the working electrode.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cooler for cooling the working electrode.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a monitor disposed between the electrochemical cell and the collector for monitoring a predetermined

characteristic of the species desorbed from the working electrode .

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the monitor is operable to monitor a predetermined optical

characteristic of the desorbed species.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the monitor is operable to monitor a predetermined chemical

characteristic of the desorbed species.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the monitor is operable to monitor a predetermined electrical characteristic of the desorbed species.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the

electrochemical cell further comprises: a second working electrode projecting into the interior volume and being positioned to contact a mobile phase being pumped therethrough;

the electrical source being connected to the second working electrode, the electrical source being operable alternatively

to impose on the second working electrode a substantially constant voltage referenced with respect to the reference electrode

sufficient to cause some of the species in the dispersion to adsorb onto the second working electrode and, thereafter,

to impose on the second working electrode a constant voltage also referenced with respect to the reference electrode sufficient to cause some of the adsorbed species to desorb from the second working electrode and into the mobile phase .

17. Apparatus for separating a mixture of

nucleic-acid-hybridized carbon nanotubes dispersed in a mobile phase, at least some of the nanotubes having different electrical properties, the apparatus

comprising :

an electrochemical cell having an interior volume therein;

a pump for pumping a mobile phase having a mixture of nanotubes dispersed therein at a predetermined flow rate through the interior volume of the electrochemical cell ;

the electrochemical cell having a first working electrode, a reference electrode, and a counter electrode all projecting into the interior volume, all of the electrodes being positioned in the cell to contact a mobile phase being pumped therethrough;

a potentiostat connected to the working, reference and counter electrodes,

the potentiostat being operable

alternatively to impose on the working electrode at least a first predetermined voltage referenced with respect to the reference electrode sufficient to cause some of the nanotubes in the dispersion to adsorb onto the working electrode and, thereafter, to impose on the working electrode at least a second voltage also referenced with respect to the reference electrode sufficient to cause some of the adsorbed nanotubes to desorb from the working electrode and into the mobile phase,

the potentiostat additionally being operable

to inject into the mobile phase through the counter electrode an electric current sufficient to maintain the voltages imposed on the working electrode at the predetermined values ;

a collector for collecting nanotubes desorbed from the working electrode; and

a monitor disposed between the electrochemical cell and the collector for monitoring a predetermined

characteristic of the nanotubes desorbed from the working electrode .