Work

Cycloaddition Functionalizations to Preserve or Control the Conductance of Carbon Nanotubes

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: We identify a class of covalent functionalizations that preserve or control the conductance of single-walled metallic carbon nanotubes. [2+1] cycloadditions can induce bond cleaving between adjacent sidewall carbons, recovering in the process the sp;{2} hybridization and the ideal conductance of the pristine tubes. This is radically at variance with the damage permanently induced by other common ligands, where a single covalent bond is formed with a sidewall carbon. Chirality, curvature, and chemistry determine bond cleaving, and in turn the electrical transport properties of a functionalized tube. A well-defined range of diameters can be found for which certain addends exhibit a bistable state, where the opening or closing of the sidewall bond, accompanied by a switch in the conductance, could be directed with chemical, optical, or thermal means.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.97.116801

Authors: Young-Su Lee, Nicola Marzari

Institutions: Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Carbon Nanotubes in Composites

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green