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Mechanism‐Guided Improvements to the Single Molecule Oxidation of Carbon Nanotube Sidewalls
Author(s) -
Coroneus John G.,
Goldsmith Brett R.,
Lamboy Jorge A.,
Kane Alexander A.,
Collins Philip G.,
Weiss Gregory A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.200700863
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , bioconjugation , molecule , nanotechnology , conductance , nanotube , derivatization , chemistry , chemical reaction , electrochemistry , mechanism (biology) , chemical physics , materials science , electrode , organic chemistry , philosophy , high performance liquid chromatography , mathematics , combinatorics , epistemology
Real‐time monitoring of carbon nanotube conductance during electrochemical and chemical etching reveals the electronic signatures of individual bond alteration events on the nanotube sidewall. Tracking the conductance of multiple single‐molecule experiments through different synthetic protocols supports putative mechanisms for sidewall derivatization. Insights gained from these mechanistic observations imply the formation of sidewall carboxylates, which are useful as handles for bioconjugation. We describe an electronic state required for efficacious chemical treatment. Such real‐time monitoring can improve carboxylate yields to 45 % or more. The experiments illustrate the power of molecular nanocircuits to uncover and direct the mechanisms of chemical reactions.