Reactions of fluoroalkanoyl peroxides with single‐walled carbon nanotubes: application to sidewall modification of single‐walled carbon nanotubes with the introduction of fluoroalkyl groups

Abstract

Abstract Fluoroalkanoyl peroxides reacted with single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SW‐CNTs) to afford fluoroalkylated SW‐CNT derivatives under very mild conditions. Fluoroalkylated SW‐CNT derivatives [R F ‐(SW‐CNT)s] thus obtained exhibited no solubility in aqueous and traditional organic media; however, R F ‐(SW‐CNT)s were solubilized into water more effectively than the parent SW‐CNT by the use of fluoroalkyl end‐capped homooligomers. However, fluroalkyl end‐capped SW‐CNT cooligomers were obtained by the reactions of fluroalkanoyl peroxides with SW‐CNTs in the presence of radical polymerizable monomers, and these fluoralkylated SW‐CNT cooligomers were found to exhibit a good solubility in aqueous and organic media. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.