Multigram Scale Synthesis of Mechanically-Interlocked Derivatives of SWNT Using Green Mechanochemical Methods

The grinding of chemical reagents enables mixing, promotes molecular collisions, and provides the thermal energy required for chemical reactions, while reducing the need for solvent (often to none) and significantly speeding up reactions. This has made mechanochemistry a powerful alternative to traditional solution chemistry. Here, we show that mechanically interlocked derivatives of single-walled carbon nanotubes (MINTs) can be made via mechanochemistry in multigram scale. Compared to the previously reported method in suspension, mechanochemistry allows us to reduce the amount of solvent by two orders of magnitude and the reaction time from 72 h to 5 min. The mechanochemical synthesis of MINTs is proven to work both with purified (6,5)-SWNTs and affordable TuballTM SWNTs, enabling the cheap, fast, and environmentally friendly multigram scale synthesis of MINTs. With this new synthetic methodology we open the door to the real-world applications of MINTs in fields such as polymer composites.