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Green Processing of Carbon Nanomaterials
Author(s) -
Kawamoto Masuki,
He Pan,
Ito Yoshihiro
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201602423
Subject(s) - nanotechnology , carbon nanotube , materials science , graphene , nanomaterials , environmentally friendly , fullerene , carbon fibers , van der waals force , covalent bond , chemical modification , organic chemistry , molecule , chemistry , composite number , polymer chemistry , composite material , ecology , biology
Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) from fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene are promising carbon allotropes for various applications such as energy‐conversion devices and biosensors. Because pristine CNMs show substantial van der Waals interactions and a hydrophobic nature, precipitation is observed immediately in most organic solvents and water. This inevitable aggregation leads to poor processability and diminishes the intrinsic properties of the CNMs. Highly toxic and hazardous chemicals are used for chemical and physical modification of CNMs, even though efficient dispersed solutions are obtained. The development of an environmentally friendly dispersion method for both safe and practical processing is a great challenge. Recent green processing approaches for the manipulation of CNMs using chemical and physical modification are highlighted. A summary of the current research progress on: i) energy‐efficient and less‐toxic chemical modification of CNMs using covalent‐bonding functionality and ii) non‐covalent‐bonding methodologies through physical modification using green solvents and dispersants, and chemical‐free mechanical stimuli is provided. Based on these experimental studies, recent advances and challenges for the potential application of green‐processable energy‐conversion and biological devices are provided. Finally, a conclusion section is provided summarizing the insights from the present studies as well as some future perspectives.