Solvent-Free Covalent Functionalization of Fullerene C60 and Pristine Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes with Crown Ethers

The goal of the present work was to test the feasibility of simple, one-step and solvent-free covalent functionalization of pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and fullerene C60 (as a model system) with amino-substituted crown ethers, namely, 4'-aminobenzo-15-crown-5 and 4'-aminobenzo-1 8-crown-6. The attachment technique proposed is based on thermal instead of chemical activation, and can be considered as ecologically friendly. The suggested covalent binding mechanism is the nucleophilic addition of amino functionalities of crown ethers to the 6,6 bonds of pyracylene units in the case of C60, and to pentagonal (and probably other) defects of similar nature in the case of pristine MWNTs. The hybrids of crown ethers with MWNTs were characterized by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, as well as thermogravimetric analysis. The functionalized C60 samples were additionally studied by means of 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The approach proposed allows for a facile preparation of crown ether-functionalized pristine MWNTs without contamination with other chemical reagents, detergents and solvents, which is especially important for a vast variety of nanotube applications ranging from nanoelectronics to nanomedicine.