Highly ordered superstructures of single wall carbon nanotube–liposome complexes

A general and easy way to fabricate highly ordered single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) superstructures with complex architectures is essential for various practical applications of SWNTs. Here, we report for the first time the highly ordered self-assembled superstructures of negatively charged SWNTs and cationic liposome complexes, which exhibit two kinds of superlattices of SWNTs, a centered rectangular superlattice of SWNTs intercalated in a multilamellar structure, and an inverted centered rectangular columnar packing with SWNTs at the centers of columns, depending on the spontaneous curvature and surface charge density of the lipid monolayer. The results of this study can provide a new route to fabricate highly ordered superlattices of SWNTs with new or enhanced functionalities, utilizing biomolecular self-assembling behavior.