Recent studies have shown that organization of special surfactants around single walled carbon nanotubes allows individualization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) that exploit their unique opto-electronic properties. These surfactants adapt different organizational patterns from random to tubular. Our group has shown that flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and its aliphatic (dodecyl) analog FC12 self-organize in a helical pattern that forms a tubular assembly around SWNTs. Such helical wrapping originates from four sets of H-bonds that “stitch” the neighboring FMN moieties into a continuous helical ribbon, and the <i>π-π</i> interaction of the isoalloxazine ring with the underlying graphene sidewalls. Understanding of molecular motifs and relative interactions involved in their formation may allow us to enhance the organization complexity of these assemblies. Along these lines we investigated a smaller analogue of FC12, i.e. lumazine (LC10) where the terminal phenyl ring of flavin has been removed, resulting in a bicyclic, rather than a tricyclic, moiety. Using Molecular Mechanics simulations the aim of this study is to elucidate the organizational pattern of lumazine (LC10) in comparison to that of FC12. In addition, this contribution intends to address whether the shorter lumazine repeat introduces a gap between helical repeats, which can be studied via spectroscopic techniques.

Computational study of lumazine assembly around single-walled carbon nanotubes

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.