Context Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) dispersed in water with the help of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactants exhibit a temperature dependent near infrared (NIR) exciton spectrum. Due to their biocompatibility and NIR spectrum falling within the transparent window for biological tissue, SWCNTs hold potential for sensing temperature inside cells. Here, we seek to elucidate the mechanism responsible for this temperature dependence, focusing on changes in the water coverage of the SWCNT as the surfactant structure changes with temperature. We compare optical absorption spectra in the UV–Vis-IR range and fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The observed temperature dependence of the spectra for various SWCNTs may be attributed to changes in the dielectric environment and its impact on excitons. MD simulations reveal that the adsorbed SDS molecules effectively shield the SWCNT, with ~ 70% of water molecules removed from the first two adlayers; this coverage shows a modest temperature dependence. Although we are not able to directly demonstrate how this influences the NIR spectrum, this represents a potential pathway given the strong influence of the water environment on the excitons in SWCNTs. Methods Optical absorption measurements were carried out in the UV–Vis-NIR range using a Varian Cary 5000 spectrophotometer in a temperature-controlled environment. PeakFit™ v. 4.06 was used as peak-fitting program in the spectral range 900–1400 nm (890–1380 meV) as a function of the temperature. Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were conducted using the NAMD2 package. The CHARMM force field comprising two-body bond stretching, three-body angle deformation, four-body dihedral angle deformation, and nonbonded interactions (electrostatic and Lennard–Jones 6–16 potentials) was employed.