(Nanocarbons Division Robert C. Haddon Research Award) Chemical Functionalization of Synthetic Carbon Allotropes

Abstract

Chemical functionalization of new C-allotropes is of fundamental interest and opens the door to unprecedented materials applications. In principle, the physical and chemical properties of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene are related to each other, although their levels of development vary considerably. In order to efficiently explore the reactivity of the less developed CNTs and especially that of graphene it is our goal to provide a unifying approach for the chemistry of all three new carbon allotropes. The fullerenes present the first family of synthetic carbon allotropes. Since their availability in macroscopic quantities numerous investigations with respect to their physical characterization and chemical functionalization have been carried out. CNTs - the second new family of C-allotropes - exhibit at least the same potential for unprecedented applications. Their chemistry, however, is much less developed. Although many protocols for covalent and non-covalent CNT functionalization have been published there are still many fundamental problems to be solved. This includes inter alia the highly selective functionalization of metallic- or semiconducting SWNTs, the high throughput isolation of SWNTs with single helicity, the development of general concepts allowing for tunable doping of individualized tubes with single helicity or least defined transport characteristics (metallic – semiconductive). Finally, the youngest representative in the list of new C-allotropes is graphene and its chemical functionalization opens exciting opportunities towards the development of precisely structured high performance materials. We will talk on the systematic investigation of the chemical properties of graphene both in homogenous solution and deposited on solid substrates. We have revealed fundamental reactivity principles, such as role of defects, charging and substrate. Moreover, we have disclosed for the first time basic fundamental topicity concepts. This allows us to tailor highly integrated graphene based 2D-materials. An example is the introduction of reversible covalent 2D-structuring providing the basis for chemical data storage.