Aqueous two-phase extraction enables the chirality and handedness sorting of mechanically interlocked derivatives of SWCNTs

The integration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) into photonics and electronics requires their precise separation by chirality and handedness, often alongside chemical functionalization. Typically, these requirements are addressed sequentially, with functionalization following the sorting of pristine tubes. We demonstrate that aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) enables the high-resolution sorting of mechanically interlocked nanotubes (MINTs), resolving chirality and handedness directly from functionalized precursors. We identify a critical functionalization threshold (∼25 wt%) below which ATPE protocols transfer seamlessly from pristine to modified nanotubes with high efficiency. Using pH-driven and trisurfactant methodologies, we isolate chirality-pure (6,5) MINTs and resolve their enantiomers with high enantiomeric purity (∼85%), while maintaining their structural integrity. This work establishes design principles for the post-synthetic sorting of functionalized nanotubes, providing a direct route to chirality-pure materials with tailorable electronic properties for sensing, catalysis, and quantum technologies.