AVS 47th International Symposium
    Nanotubes - Science and Applications Monday Sessions
       Session NM+NS-MoM

Paper NM+NS-MoM3
Purification and Functionalization of Single-wall Carbon Nanotubes

Monday, October 2, 2000, 9:00 am, Room 309

Session: Carbon Nanotubes: Functionalization and Applications
Presenter: I. Chiang, Rice University
Authors: I. Chiang, Rice University
R. Saini, Rice University
J. Margrave, Rice University
R. Hauge, Rice University
R.E. Smalley, Rice University
R. Billups, Rice University
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A purification method has been developed which leads to 99.9% pure single wall nanotubes. It combines the well-known nitric acid treatment with water reflux and a two-stage gas-phase oxidation. Air oxidation of SWNTs is correlated to the amount of metals in the samples. For sidewall fluorinated SWNTs, two distinct types of C-F bonds have been observed, ionic and covalent bonds. These 'fluorotubes' have served as precursors for further substitution on the nanotubes, such as sidewall alkylation etc. The degree of substitution is found to correlate with the extent of covalent sidewall C-F bonding.