Deuterium Attachment to Carbon Nanotubes in Solution

Abstract

Strong attachment of deuterium to carbon nanotubes was observed in solution under mild experimental conditions when deuterated ethanol was used as a co-reactant in nanotube functionalization reactions. The solubility of samples in common organic solvents has allowed unambiguous 2H NMR characterization. The broad 2H NMR signal at ∼6.5 ppm is assigned to carbon-nanotube-bound deuterium species. The assignment is supported by the results from FT-IR measurements. The results from the use of selectively deuterated ethanols suggest that the labile deuterium is responsible for the attachment to carbon nanotubes.