Modification of sp2 Carbon Allotropes with Diazonium Salts—Focus on Carbon Nanotubes Functionalization

Abstract

After a summary of the chronology of early studies on surface modification using diazonium salt presented for all types of sp2 carbonaceous materials of macro, micro, and nano size, this chapter reviews the last decade's advances in the field of the carbon nanotubeCarbon NanoTube (CNT) functionalization via diazonium salt chemistry. The different strategies of carbon nanotubeCarbon NanoTube (CNT) functionalization based on aryl diazonium saltAryl diazonium salt are then overviewed. The key parameters determining the selectivity of the diazonium salt functionalization reaction of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are discussed and more particularly the importance of their Fermi level as well as the substituents of the aryl diazonium. This chapter then focuses on the optical properties, including photoluminescencePhotoluminescence (PL) and electrical properties of the nanotubes specifically provided by the surface modification of CNTsCarbon NanoTube (CNT) via diazonium salt, and concludes with the presentation of some applications including catalytic platforms, nanocomposites, energy conversion, and (bio) chemical sensing.