Simple and highly efficient direct thiolation of the surface of carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We established a highly efficient and simple method to directly functionalize the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with thiol groups (-SH). The -SH groups on the surface of the CNTs were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), elemental analysis (EA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM indicated that gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) or other metals can be attached to thiolated CNTs (CNT-SHs) through thiol-metal bonding. Hence, the proposed approach can be used for developing self-assembled materials, sensors, catalysts, and CNT nanodevices.