Chemically modifying single wall carbon nanotubes to facilitate dispersal in solvents
First Claim
1. A solution of single wall carbon nanotubes comprising:
- (i) single wall carbon nanotubes having fluorine covalently bonded to carbon atoms on the sidewall of the single wall carbon nanotubes; and
(ii) a solvent, wherein the single wall carbon nanotubes are dispersed in the solvent.
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Abstract
This invention is directed to making chemical derivatives of carbon nanotubes and to uses for the derivatized nanotubes, including making arrays as a basis for synthesis of carbon fibers. In one embodiment, this invention also provides a method for preparing single wall carbon nanotubes having substituents attached to the side wall of the nanotube by reacting single wall carbon nanotubes with fluorine gas and recovering fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes, then reacting fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes with a nucleophile. Some of the fluorine substituents are replaced by nucleophilic substitution. If desired, the remaining fluorine can be completely or partially eliminated to produce single wall carbon nanotubes having substituents attached to the side wall of the nanotube. The substituents will, of course, be dependent on the nucleophile, and preferred nucleophiles include alkyl lithium species such as methyl lithium. Alternatively, fluorine may be fully or partially removed from fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes by reacting the fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes with various amounts of hydrazine, substituted hydrazine or alkyl amine. The present invention also provides seed materials for growth of single wall carbon nanotubes comprising a plurality of single wall carbon nanotubes or short tubular molecules having a catalyst precursor moiety covalently bound or physisorbed on the outer surface of the sidewall to provide the optimum metal cluster size under conditions that result in migration of the metal moiety to the tube end.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A solution of single wall carbon nanotubes comprising:
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(i) single wall carbon nanotubes having fluorine covalently bonded to carbon atoms on the sidewall of the single wall carbon nanotubes; and
(ii) a solvent, wherein the single wall carbon nanotubes are dispersed in the solvent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A solution of carbon nanotubes comprising:
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(i) carbon nanotubes having fluorine covalently bonded to carbon atoms on the sidewall of the carbon nanotubes; and
(ii) a solvent, wherein the carbon nanotubes are dispersed in the solvent.
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8. A solution of single wall carbon nanotubes comprising:
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(i) single wall carbon nanotubes having substituents covalently bonded to carbon atoms on the sidewall of the single wall carbon nanotubes; and
(ii) a solvent, wherein the single wall carbon nanotubes are dispersed in the solvent. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A solution of single wall carbon nanotubes made by the process comprising the steps of:
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(i) derivatizing single wall carbon nanotubes with a fluorinating agent; and
(ii) dispersing the single wall carbon nanotubes in a solvent. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A solution of carbon nanotubes made by the process comprising the steps of:
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(i) derivatizing carbon nanotubes with a fluorinating agent; and
(ii) dispersing the carbon nanotubes in a solvent.
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26. A solution of single wall carbon nanotubes made by the process comprising the steps of:
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(i) covalently bonding substituents to the single wall carbon nanotubes; and
(ii) dispersing the single wall carbon nanotubes in a solvent. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification