Method for producing semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube dispersion

Abstract

In one aspect, provided is a method for producing a semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube dispersion. This method allows semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes to be separated from a single-walled carbon nanotube mixture containing semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes and metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes in an aqueous medium, and yet requires only an easily available separation agent and a simple operation. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for producing a semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube dispersion. The method includes (A) preparing a single-walled carbon nanotube dispersion to be separated that contains single-walled carbon nanotubes composed of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes and metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes, an aqueous medium, and a copolymer containing a constitutional unit A derived from a monomer represented by the following formula (1) and a constitutional unit B derived from a monomer represented by the following formula (3), and (B) centrifuging the single-walled carbon nanotube dispersion to be separated and then collecting a supernatant containing the semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes from the centrifuged single-walled carbon nanotube dispersionCH═CH—COOM  (1)CH═CR—COO—(CHCHO)—H  (3).