Iodination of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Iodinated single-walled carbon nanotubes, with iodine covalently bound to the nanotube surface, have been synthesized by oxidation of the carbon nanotubes followed by a modified Hunsdiecker reaction using elemental iodine and iodosobenzene diacetate (IBDA). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images show small high-contrast spots which are stable to the electron beam and are assigned to iodine atoms bonded to the surface of the nanotube. Importantly, the electronic properties of the nanotubes were found to be largely intact after functionalization. The iodinated carbon nanotubes were fully characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TGA-MS).