Natural polyelectrolytes (NPs), including sodium lignosulfonate, huraic acid and so forth, are reported for the first time to solubilize single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in water through a noncovalent interaction. A variety of methods, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), visible-near-infrared (vis-NIR) spectra, Raman spectra and zeta potential measurements, were used to characterize the NP-dispersed SWNT solutions. It is found that the SWNTs can be exfoliated into thin bundles or individual tubes, even at NP concentrations as low as 0.15 mg ml~(-1). Their high performance is attributed to the abundance of aromatic groups and ionized groups in the NP molecules. This method of solubilization opens the way for exploiting new natural materials as SWNT solubilizers and may find applications in nanocomposites, self-assembly, and so forth.
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