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Epoxidation of Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Organocatalytic Oxidation
Author(s) -
Annese Cosimo,
D'Accolti Lucia,
Armuzza Valentina,
Da Ros Tatiana,
Fusco Caterina
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of organic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.825
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1099-0690
pISSN - 1434-193X
DOI - 10.1002/ejoc.201500107
Subject(s) - chemistry , surface modification , carbon nanotube , electrophile , dioxirane , amine gas treating , environmentally friendly , organic chemistry , carbon fibers , organocatalysis , covalent bond , combinatorial chemistry , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , catalysis , enantioselective synthesis , materials science , ecology , composite number , engineering , composite material , biology
Even though many functionalization methodologies for covalent modification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been proposed, mild but effective approaches are still needed. Here we describe the epoxidation of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with dioxirane for an environmentally friendly oxidation process with an organocatalyst. Thank to the choice of dioxiranes (accessible and easy to handle and to store), multiple oxidation cycles could be performed on the same sample, thus allowing for a final improvement in the degree of oxidation at the CNT sidewall. The obtained derivatives were then used as electrophilic platforms for successive modification with an amine, with a high degree of functionalization (about 750 μmol g –1 from TGA analysis) being obtained.