Epoxidation and deoxygenation of single-walled carbon nanotubes: quantification of epoxide defects

Douglas Ogrin; Jayanta Chattopadhyay; Anil K Sadana; W Edward Billups; Andrew R Barron

doi:10.1021/ja061680u

Epoxidation and deoxygenation of single-walled carbon nanotubes: quantification of epoxide defects

J Am Chem Soc. 2006 Sep 6;128(35):11322-3. doi: 10.1021/ja061680u.

Authors

Douglas Ogrin¹, Jayanta Chattopadhyay, Anil K Sadana, W Edward Billups, Andrew R Barron

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry and Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.

PMID: 16939233
DOI: 10.1021/ja061680u

Abstract

Epoxidation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) may be carried out by the reaction of SWNTs with either trifluorodimethyldioxirane or 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid; the resulting O-SWNTs are spectroscopically similar to those formed by ozonolysis. Quantification of the epoxide substituents is possible through the catalytic de-epoxidation reaction using MeReO3/PPh3 and the 31P NMR spectroscopy. The de-epoxidation methodology may be used to determine that wet air oxidation is preferable to either acid or O2/SF6 purification. We have demonstrated that previously assumed "pure" SWNTs are actually "doped" to a level of at least 1 oxygen per 250 carbon atoms.