1 Utilizing old Egyptian wisdom for stabilization of individual carbon nanotubes in aqueous dispersions Rajdip Bandyopadhyaya, Einat Nativ-Roth, Oren Regev, Rachel Yerushalmi Rozen Department of Chemical Engineering and The Ilse Katz center for Meso and Nano-scale Science and Technology, the Ben Gurion University in the Negev, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel.oregev@bgumail.bgu.ac.il rachely@bgumail.bgu.ac.il ABSTRACT The tendency of single wall carbon nanotubes to organize into crystalline ropes and the aggregation of the ropes into tangled networks act as an obstacle for most applications, and diminishes the special properties of the individual tubes. We describe a procedure for dispersing as-produced nanotube powder in aqueous solutions of Gum Arabic. Dispersion results in spontaneous exfoliation of nanotubes ropes into individual tubes, as demonstrated via x-ray scattering and electron microscopy. INTRODUCTION The superb mechanical and electrical properties predicted for single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) have raised high expectations regarding their utilization in disciplines of composite materials as well as molecular electronics[1]. In particular, it was hoped that the high tensile strength (Young modulus of up to 1Tpa)[2], and excellent thermal stability of SWNT can be used for preparation of meso-composite materials of improved properties. In order to fulfill the expectations, good mechanical coupling and in particular, efficient stress transfer between the matrix and the nanotubes are sought for. In the field of molecular electronics SWNT are expected to fulfill two different roles: Serve as active components in nano-sized devices such as field-effect transistors[3] and electron emission sources[4] and act as molecular wires, connecting components in nano-devices. As in the case of meso-composites, control over interfacial interactions is crucial for these applications. Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 706 © 2002 Materials Research Society Z9.28.1