Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
Functionalization of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes with Thermo-reversible Block Copolymers and Characterization by Small-angle Neutron Scattering
Published on: June 1, 2016
Covalent sidewall functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes: a photoreduction approach
1National Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Fabrication Technology, Institute of Micro and Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China. lmwei@sjtu.edu.cn
Abstract:
Covalent sidewall functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) via photoreduction of aromatic ketones by alcohols is reported for the first time. Irradiation of benzophenone, benzhydrol and SWNTs in benzene resulted in covalent attachment of benzhydrol to the sidewalls of the SWNTs. A variety of tools were used to characterize the functionalized SWNTs. Raman scattering, UV-visible and near-IR spectroscopy confirm the covalent nature of the sidewall functionalization. Attenuated total reflection (ATR) FTIR and NMR provided evidence for attachment of benzhydrol onto the sidewalls of nanotubes. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the degree of functionalization was about one benzhydrol in 52 sidewall carbons. A long-chain hydrocarbon marker (n-C(18)H(35)) was also grafted onto the functional groups by esterification reaction for high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) visualization.
