Carbon Nanotube- and Graphene Oxide / 2D Oligoglycine Tectomer Composites and Coatings

Amino-terminated oligoglycines non-covalently self-assemble, through cooperative hydrogen bonding formation, into biocompatible rigid 2D nanostructures called tectomers, either in solution or in surfacepromoted processes. Tectomers effectively coat carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH) and strongly interact with graphene oxide (GO). Electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding formation accounts for the strong interfacial interaction of tectomers with MWCNTCOOH and GO, respectively. The resulting composites were characterized by electron- and atomic force microscopies, UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies and contact angle measurements. Because of this high affinity of tectomers to GO, tectomers efficiently coat wet-spun GO fibers (Fig. 1). We also show that, due to their versatile surface chemistry, tectomers act as supramolecular peptidic adhesives for the immobilization of a variety of carbon nanomaterials, nanoparticles, molecules and drugs on the GO fiber surface therefore allowing GO fiber functionalization. The resulting ultrathin coatings exhibit remarkable water-resistant properties. This tectomer-based “double-sided sticky tape” fiber functionalization strategy can be extended to other fibers, fabrics and substrates, making it very attractive for technological and smart textile applications