Multipurpose Organically Modified Carbon Nanotubes: From Functionalization to Nanotube Composites

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 130 (27), 8733–8740, 2008. 10.1021/ja8002952
Web Release Date: June 14, 2008

Multipurpose Organically Modified Carbon Nanotubes: From Functionalization to Nanotube Composites

Vasilios Georgakilas,^*^† Athanasios Bourlinos,^† Dimitrios Gournis,^‡ Theodoros Tsoufis,^‡ Christos Trapalis,^† Aurelio Mateo-Alonso,^§ and Maurizio Prato^*^§

Institute of Materials Science, N.C.S.R. “Demokritos”, GR-15310 Agia Paraskevi Athens, Greece, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, GR-45110 Ioannina, Greece, and Center of Excellence for Nanostructured Materials (CENMAT), Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, INSTM, Universita di Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy

georgaki@ims.demokritos.gr; prato@units.it

Received January 14, 2008

Abstract:

We show that covalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition is a powerful method for enhancing the ability to process CNTs and facilitating the preparation of hybrid composites, which is achieved solely by mixing. CNTs were functionalized with phenol groups, providing stable dispersions in a range of polar solvents, including water. Additionally, the functionalized CNTs could easily be combined with polymers and layered aluminosilicate clay minerals to give homogeneous, coherent, transparent CNT thin films and gels.

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