Hi, we (various groups at Cambridge working on CNT fibre, some on polymer composites of CNT materials etc) don't think so - but I apologise that I can't point you to the necessary literature. We see evidence of polymer getting into b bundles of CNTs, but not inside the CNTs themselves ?polymer chains can't get through hexagonal lattices? more energetically favourable for them to wrap around tubes?

I'll try and update this later with something useful.

Edit 1: not exactly what you're asking about, but an interesting effect that CNTs have on polymer crystallisation - might stimulate more coffee table discussions!

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep16729 and Article Carbon nanotube induced polymer crystallization: The formati...

This is a good point for discussion - diffusion of a macromolecule inside a carbon nanotube. It seems it can not be excluded but it depends. E.g. there are works in which a penetration of RNA or DNA inside CNT was shown:

Markus Martincic &Gerard Tobias Filled carbon nanotubes in biomedical imaging and drug delivery http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1517/17425247.2015.971751?src=recsys&journalCode=iedd20

Thanks for your replies. I should probably address de Gennes with this one...

Interesting question.

Unless the surface tension of the polymer is lowered so as it allows the polymer to enter the tubular part (similar to capillary action), I feel it would be difficult to get polymer inside CNTs

Impossible due to size of molecules