Electrochemical functionalization of nanotube films: growth of aryl chains on single-walled carbon nanotubes

Covalent exohedral derivatizations of HiPco nanotubes, through electrochemical reduction of aryldiazonium salts, is described. Four different aryldiazonium salts have been used under the same experimental conditions: 4-bromophenyl, 4-chloromethylphenyl, 4-sulfophenyl and 4-carboxyphenyl. Derivatized samples were characterized through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman diffusion. The evolution of the spectra (area of the D-band), as a function of the number of grafted groups, led us to the conclusion that the electrochemical reduction of aryldiazonium salts into radicals gives rise to the growth of aryl chains on the sidewalls of the nanotubes.